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.

 

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.

Bird's Nest Soup With Three Treasures 三宝巴实燕

Bird's Nest Soup With Three Treasures 三宝巴实燕

Recipe source :  The World of Nourishing & Fine Soups ( cookbook )

A very delicious and highly nutritious soup which is very rich in collagen. Good for strengthening the lungs and regenerates skin cells. According to the herbal cookbook, lotus seeds help to strengthen the spleen and stomach, while gingko nuts nourishes lungs and relieves asthma. 

Ingredients ( serves one )

5g dried bird's nest
3 fresh lotus seeds
2 red dates
3 lily bulbs
3 fresh gingko nuts
Cane rock sugar, to taste
200ml water

 Fresh gingko nuts

Fresh lotus seeds

 Dried bird's nest

Dried lily bulbs

Method

1.  Soak bird's nest until soft. ( about one hour.)
2.  Place bird's nest, cane rock sugar and all the Chinese herbs into a ceramic or porcelain container with a fitting lid.
3.  Pour in 200ml water.
4.  Double boil for about 2 to 3 hours. 

Pandan Flavoured Snow Fungus & Gingko Nut Dessert

Pandan Flavoured Snow Fungus & Gingko Nut Dessert

Recipe source :  Doris Choo


A simple and sweet  dessert which we love to enjoy every now and then. We like to add hard-boiled quail eggs to this "tong-sui" or sweet soup. This dessert requires just a few basic ingredients yet a very tasty soup is brewed.  

I do not normally add pandan leaves to boil this sweet soup. But today, since I have some pandan leaves left  in my fridge, I added a few blades of these fragrant leaves to enhance the flavour. 

Well, I have no complaints. The flavour is definitely better with the added pandan leaves.
 

Ingredients

50g snow fungus, soak until soft and cut into bite-sized pieces
100g gingko nuts, remove shells and membranes
10 quail eggs, hard-boiled and remove the shells
3 blades pandan leaves, knotted together
120g cane rock sugar
1.5 litres water

Instructions

1.  Bring 1.5 litres of water to the boil.
2.  Add in the pandan leaves, softened snow fungus and gingko nuts and boil for 30 minutes.
3.  Remove and discard the pandan leaves.
4.  Add in cane rock sugar and hard-boiled quail eggs.
5.  Boil for a further 10 to 15 minutes or until the cane rock sugar dissolves.

 
I am linking this post to Joceline Lyn of Butter. Flour & Me

This event is linked to Little Thumbs Up organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids

and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY

The ingredient for September is "pandan"

GL's Cooking : Barley & Gingko Dessert 腐竹白果薏米糖水

GL's Cooking :  Barley & Gingko Dessert  腐竹白果薏米糖水

This dessert is very popular and is easily available at food courts. Most  of the hawkers which I patronise do not always include gingko nuts, which is a disappointment to me as I love them. 

I came across an article some time ago that described this sweet dessert of bean curd sheets, barley and gingko as an energy booster and it also rejuvenates the human body. This claim, which I think may be true, considering the fact that soya milk and bean curd sheets contain protein, while ginkgo nuts contain protein, starch and minerals. Barley is rich in minerals as well. One thing is for sure, the Chinese believe this dessert cools down body heat and is good for the complexion, good especially for pregnant mums in an advanced stage of pregnancy! A note of caution though,  this dessert may be too "cooling" for mums in the early stages of pregnancy.  

GL added hard-boiled quail eggs to this sweet and delightful dessert.  It looks so good, it makes me want to prepare it right away!

Ingredients

1/2 cup barley pearls
600 ml unsweetened soya milk
600 ml water
10 gingko nuts, remove shells and membranes
5 quail eggs, hard boil the eggs and remove the shells
1 sheet bean curd skin, soak to soften and tear into small pieces
3 pieces rock sugar, or to taste

Method

1.  Wash barley pearls and boil together with water, gingko nuts and soya milk until the barley pearls have expanded and become slightly "fluffy".
2.  Add bean curd skin, quail eggs and rock sugar and continue to boil for a further 15 minutes.
3.  Ready to serve.

Sweet  temptation !

Double-Boiled Snow Fungus Dessert 雪耳炖冰糖

Double-Boiled Snow Fungus Dessert 雪耳炖冰糖

 A sweet dessert

Recipe Source : Replicating what I had eaten in a shopping mall in Zhuhai, China

I had this sweet dessert in Zhuhai, China a couple of weeks back. The ingredients used are simple and easily available in grocery stores or supermarkets. Brewed together with cane sugar or rock sugar, the end result is sweet and very satisfying. I am back home now and I have a strong craving to have this dessert and I decided to prepare it.

Ingredients

10g snow fungus ( soaked until soft, remove the stem and cut them into smaller pieces )
90g cane rock sugar ( adjust the amount of sugar to suit individual taste )
6 red dates, remove the seeds
100g fresh lotus seeds
18 gingko nuts ( remove the shell and soft skin or you can use fresh gingko nuts available at the wet markets )
600 ml water

Top left : fresh lotus seeds, Top right : gingko nuts

Bottom left : snow fungus. Middle : cane rock sugar. Right : red dates

 

Instructions

 

1.  Divide the above ingredients into 3 equal portions.
2.  Place each portion into an individual ceramic container. You will need 3 small ceramic containers. Alternatively, you can put everything into a large ceramic container used for double- boiling. You can read up on my previous post on the ceramic pot used and how to go about double-boiling.
3. Cover the 3 ceramic containers and place them into a larger aluminium or stainless steel pot. Fill up the larger pot with water to half the water level of the ceramic containers. 
4.  Switch on the flame and double-boil the contents for one hour. 
5.  Check on the water level in the larger pot to avoid drying up during the boiling process. Add hot boiling water if the water dries up. 

Very satisfying dessert after a meal