Korean Seafood Pancake ( Haemul Pajeon )

Korean Seafood Pancake ( Haemul Pajeon )

Recipe source :  Beyond Kimchi

According to the source of this recipe, Koreans crave for this traditional  pancake on rainy afternoons. It was suggested that you make the dipping sauce first because once the pancake is done it is so irresistible that you must eat it right away! So prepare the dipping sauce first because you won't have time to do so later.

Making this Korean seafood pancake reminds me of the oyster pancake made by my hubby's cousin and food vendors in Chaozhou, China. Maybe it was because of the starchy glutinous flour base which reminded me of the Teochew or luak  (oyster pancake).

I could smell the fragrance of chives as the pancakes were frying in the pan. Very nice! That evoked a homely and comfortable feeling especially now that our hot and dry weather has taken a turn towards cooler and wetter days. So now I can understand why the Koreans crave for this delicious snack on cold rainy afternoons.

Ingredients

60g spring onions, cut into sections of 2 inches
60g chives, cut into sections of 2 inches
160g shrimps, remove shells
180g squids, cleaned and cut into rings
2 red chillies
2 cup water
2 tbsp rice wine
2 eggs, lightly beaten
some oil for frying

Top : Chives

Middle : chillies

Bottom : spring onions

 Squids

Shrimps

For Dipping Sauce

3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp sesame seeds
some chopped spring onions

Make dipping sauce by combining all the ingredients together. Set aside.

 Dipping sauce

For the Pancake Mix

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup glutinous rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder         ( I did not add this )

Instructions

1.  Add rice wine to 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Blanch seafood in small portions at a time for 3 seconds. Set aside. Reserve 1 cup of the seafood broth from the pot.
2.  Make batter by combining the broth with the pancake mix. Add in onions and chives and mix well.
3.  Heat a large non-stick pan and add 2 tsp oil on low heat until hot.
4.  Scoop half of the batter mixture into hot pan, spreading it around to make even thin layer. Use a 9 inch pan. 
5.  Scatter half the seafood and chillies on top. 
6.  Pour in half of the beaten egg around the topping and let the pancake fry for 2 - 3 minutes.
7.  Flip the pancake and fry the other side until cooked. Drizzle more oil if needed.
8.  Remove from pan by flipping the pan upside-down onto a serving dish.
9.  Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

 The pancake frying in the pan

I made two pancakes 

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest  : Korea

Hosted by Sharon of Feats of Feast

Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls) 汤圆

Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls) 汤圆

Recipe source :  Doris Choo

Today is an auspicious day, Chinese across the globe are making tang yuan or glutinous rice balls to celebrate 冬节 or Winter Solstice. Many believe the Winter Solstice or 冬节 is much more auspicious and important than the Lunar Chinese New Year. 

The traditional tang yuan is cooked in ginger syrup without filling. Over the years, creativity set in and the original version of plain tang yuan had evolved into balls of glutinous rice stuffed with all kinds of tasty fillings. The more common and popular fillings being red bean paste, yam paste, sesame paste and peanuts. 

With or without the fillings, tang yuan tastes great in the ginger infused syrup. It is a great dessert, usually taken hot or warm.

When we were young, our elders used to tell us that we have to eat the same numbers of tang yuan equivalent to our age. Back then our young minds would be thinking "oh my gosh! grandpa would have to eat seventy tang yuan!"  However, we caught on fast and pretty soon we knew grandpa was just pulling our legs! According to the Chinese method of calculating age, the moment you eat tang yuan on that particular day, you would have just added one year to your age.

Like most Chinese, we are celebrating this auspicious day and I am happy to share our family's  version of the tang yuan.

Ingredients for White Tang Yuan

80g glutinous rice flour
80ml hot boiling water ( add more if necessary to form a soft dough)
100g red bean paste ( divide into 10 balls )

Method

1.  Place the glutinous rice flour into a large bowl. 
2.  Add hot boiling water to the flour and use a spoon to mix he flour and water.  When it has cool down sufficiently to handle, use hands to knead this mixture to form a soft dough.
3.  Add more hot water if the flour cannot bind.
4.  Or add more glutinous rice flour if the dough is too sticky to handle.
5.  Divide the dough into 10 equal portions.
6.  Roll each portion into a small disk and wrap the dough round a ball of red bean paste to form a white ball.
7.  Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients. 
8.  Set aside the white tang yuan.

Ingredients for Red Tang Yuan

80g glutinous rice flour
80ml hot boiling water ( add more if necessary to form a soft dough)
2 to 3 drops red food colouring
100g red bean paste ( divide into 10 balls )
 

Method

1.  Place the glutinous rice flour into a large bowl. 
2.  Add red food colouring into the boiling water. Then add the hot boiling water to the flour and use a spoon to mix the flour and water.  When it has cool down sufficiently to handle, use hands to knead this mixture to form a soft dough.
3.  Add more hot water if the flour cannot bind.
4.  Or add more glutinous rice flour if the dough is too sticky to handle.
5.  Divide the dough into 10 equal portions.
6.  Roll each portion into a small disk and wrap the dough round a ball of red bean paste to form a pink ball.
7.  Repeat process with the remaining ingredients.
8.  Set aside the pink tang yuan.

 Before boiling in hot water

Ingredients for the syrup 

20g ginger, smacked with the back of a cleaver
750ml water
120g rock sugar

1.  Bring all the ingredients to a boil until the rock sugar dissolves.
2.  Set  aside and keep warm..  

Cooking the Tang Yuan

1.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil. 
2.  When boiling, add balls of white tang yuan and red tang yuan into the boiling water.
3.  The tang yuan will float to the surface once it is cooked.
4.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked tang yuan and place into bowls.
5.  Add syrup to the bowls of tang yuan.
6.  Serve hot.

Purple Sweet Potato Dumpling With Red Bean Paste 紫红豆沙粿

Purple Sweet Potato Dumpling With Red Bean Paste 紫红豆沙粿

Recipe source :  Adapted from - Authentic Chinese Dumpling cookbook


Again, I was in a bind while making this purple dumpling, the recipe calls for a turtle-shaped mould which I do not have but since I have others I resorted to improvise and used a square one instead. As a result I have to make changes to the Chinese name as well.

 

Ingredients for dough

250g glutinous rice flour
1 tbsp wheat starch
1 tbsp castor sugar
3 tbsp cooking oil
300g purple sweet potato
150 ml boiling water                  
80 ml water                                

Filling 

300g  red bean paste

 

Red bean paste

Instructions to make the dumpling

1.  Peel the sweet potato and cut into pieces, steam over boiling water until the sweet potatoes are soft. Dish up and mash them into a smooth paste.
2.  In a mixer, add the glutinous rice flour, sweet potato paste, sugar, cooking oil. Remember to add in boiling water and the extra water at room temperature.
3.  Knead until a soft dough is formed.
4.  Divide the purple dough into small portions, depending on the size of your mould. Cover them with  a wet cloth.
5.  Divide the red bean paste into same equal number of portions as the dough. Roll the red bean paste into small round balls. Set aside for later use.
6.  Roll out a portion of the purple dough and flatten to make a small circle. Wrap a ball of red bean paste. Seal the edges. 
7.  Press the small dumpling into a mould which has been sprinkled with flour.
8.  Press gently to make the impression and then knock out the imprinted dumpling.
9.  Place onto a greased steaming tray.
10.  Repeat process until all dough and red bean paste are used up.
11.  Steam over high heat for about 7 minutes.
12.  Brush with oil immediately upon removing from the steamer.

 Raw purple sweet potato

 The skin remained soft and tasty even after several hours 

Purple Sweet Potato Dumpling 菜香寿粿

Purple Sweet Potato Dumpling 菜香寿粿

Recipe source :  Adapted from Authentic Chinese Dumpling cookbook

I was caught in a fix when I tried out this recipe to make the purple skin dough. The flour could not bind. All the ingredients were supposed to mix together to form a soft dough but that did not happen. I must have missed out an ingredient or misread the instructions.

I must find a way to make the dough. I could not afford to throw away all the ingredients already spread out on the table. So, I just took a calculated risk and added 150 ml of boiling water to the flour mix and kept my fingers crossed! There was much improvement. The flour started to bind. Feeling encouraged, I added 80 ml more water and started kneading until I got a soft dough. Viola! I finally got myself a purple dough ! I did not follow the filling as per the recipe and on top of that I did not have the proper mould as shown in the cookbook and I resorted to do it my own way.

Ingredients for dough

250g glutinous rice flour
1 tbsp wheat starch
1 tbsp castor sugar
3 tbsp cooking oil
300g purple sweet potato
150 ml boiling water                  
80 ml water                                 

Ingredients for filling

450g radish ( shredded )
150g minced pork
3 shitake mushrooms ( diced )
30g dried scallops ( soaked and shredded )
20g black fungus ( soaked and shredded )
2 shallots ( chopped )
2 tbsp cooking oil
200 ml water

Seasonings

1 tbsp castor sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp dark soya sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2  tsp pepper

Instructions to cook the filling

1. Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil until hot. Saute the chopped shallots.

2. Add in the diced mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute, then add in the minced pork and shredded black fungus. Mix everything evenly.

3. Toss in the shredded radish and dried scallops. Mix well.

4. Add in seasoning and water and cook until the radish are tender and quite dry.

5. Dish up and leave to cool.

Instructions to make the dumpling

1.  Peel the sweet potato and cut into pieces, steam over boiling water until the sweet potatoes are soft. Dish up and mash them into a smooth paste.
2.  In a mixer, add the glutinous rice flour, sweet potato paste, sugar, cooking oil. Remember to add in boiling water and the extra water at room temperature.
3.  Knead until a soft dough is formed.
4.  Divide the dough into small portions and roll out into round circles.
5.  Spoon a tablespoon of filling into the dough and wrap up and seal the edges.
6.  Adjust the semicircle and make it "sit" on its base with the edges pointing upwards.
7.  Place it on a greased steaming tray.
8.  Repeat the process until the rest are completed.
9.  Steam over high heat for about 8 minutes.
10. Brush with oil immediately after steaming.

Purple sweet potato

 

Ready for steaming

Brush with oil immediately after steaming

Long Bean & Orange Sweet Potato Dumpling 豆角番薯粿

Long Bean & Orange Sweet Potato Dumpling 豆角番薯粿

 Recipe source : Adapted from Authentic Chinese Dumpling cookbook


The colour is all natural from the orange sweet potatoes. The skin dough is soft and spongy while the long beans and minced pork give a crunchy texture to the filling. SK and I both find it delicious. But we have adapted the recipe to suit our taste. All in all we are very happy with this orange-hued dumpling. My mind is already working overtime, thinking of the possibilities of what filling to make next. 

Ingredients for the dough

110g orange sweet potato
100g glutinous flour
150g tapioca flour
250g boiling water ( use less water, about 150g is enough, otherwise the dough becomes very sticky ) 
1 tbsp cooking oil

Ingredients for the filling

120g minced pork
200g long beans ( diced )
20g carrot ( diced )
1 tbsp garlic ( chopped )
100 ml water
2 tbsp cooking oil

Seasonings

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp oyster sauce
dash of pepper
1 tsp cornflour

 Top : long beans
Middle :  a section of carrot
Bottom : orange sweet potatoes

 The prepared filling ready for wrapping

Instructions to cook the filling

1.  Heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil until hot. Saute the chopped garlic until fragrant.

2.   Add in minced pork. Stir-fry briskly over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

3.  Add long beans and carrots. Toss well to mix evenly.

4.  Add water and seasoning and bring to the boil over high heat.

5.  Keep stirring until the water is almost dried up.

6.  Remove from heat and leave to cool. 

Instructions to make the dumpling

1.  Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into small pieces.

2.   Steam over high heat over boiling water until soft and tender.

3.  Mash into a smooth paste while still very hot. Set aside.

4.  In a mixer, add glutinous flour, tapioca flour and sweet potatoes.

5.  Add boiling water and cooking oil. Mix until a dough is formed. Knead until smooth.

6.  Flatten dough with a rolling pin and use a Chinese rice bowl to cut circles from the rolled out dough. Cover the dough with a wet cloth.

7.  Spoon 1 tbsp of filling onto the cut-out circle of dough and wrap into a semi-circle. Seal the edges.

8.  Bring both ends of the semi-circle together and pinched the tips to form a pouch-shaped.

9.  Place onto a greased steaming tray and steam over boiling water at high heat for about 8 minutes. 

10. Brush oil over the steamed dumplings immediately upon removing from the steamer. 
11.  Ready to serve.

 Pretty little dumplings

Bamboo Dumpling 竹叶粿

Bamboo Dumpling  竹叶粿

 

Recipe source :  Adapted from Authentic Chinese Dumpling cookbook 

Ingredients for the dough

30g wheat starch
200g glutinous rice flour
200g rice flour
2 1/2 tbsp castor sugar
50 ml boiling water
250 ml water
65ml cooking oil  

Ingredients for filling

450g radish ( shredded )
150g minced pork
3 shitake mushrooms ( diced )
30g dried scallops ( soaked and shredded )
20g black fungus ( soaked and shredded )
2 shallots ( chopped )
2 tbsp cooking oil
200 ml water

 Other ingredients 

24 pieces bamboo leaves ( cut into oval shape )
24  toothpicks

Seasoning

1 tbsp castor sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp dark soya sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp pepper

Radish

 Shredded radish

Top left : shredded dried scallops. Top right :  diced mushrooms 

Bottom : shredded black fungus

Instructions to cook the filling

1. Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil until hot. Saute the chopped shallots.

2. Add in the diced mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute, then add in the minced pork and shredded black fungus. Mix everything evenly.

3. Toss in the shredded radish and dried scallops. Mix well.

4. Add in seasoning and water and cook until the radish are tender and quite dry.

5. Dish up and leave to cool.

Instructions to make the dumpling

1.  Mix wheat starch with boiling water. Mix well to form a dough.
2.  Add in glutinous rice flour, rice flour, sugar, water and cooking oil. Knead well to form a smooth dough.
3.  Cover with a wet cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
4.  Divide equally into small balls. Cover with wet cloth.
5.  Flatten the balls and spoon in filling. Wrap it up and seal the edges.
6.  Brush the bamboo leaves with oil.
7.  Wrap the filled-up dough with a piece of bamboo leave and secure the edges with toothpick.
8.  Repeat the process for the remaining dough and filling.
9.  Place them in a steamer and steam for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Pan-Fried Glutinous Rice cake 煎糯米豆沙糕

Pan-Fried Glutinous Rice cake 煎糯米豆沙糕

Recipe source : Adapted from the video food4444lyfe


The original recipe from the video used peanut butter as filling. I substituted the peanut butter with red bean paste. I doubled the quantity of ingredients used in the original recipe. The skin is crispy and fragrant when eaten while they were still warm. The rice cakes  were sweet and chewy when cooled down totally.  

I will definitely make them again as both SK and I like them very much.  We like the chewy texture and find them very delicious.

Ingredients

80g water
50g coconut milk or santan
2 tbsp sugar
40g hot water
200g glutinous rice flour
2 tbsp oil ( optional )
8 tsp red bean paste
some cooking oil for pan-frying 

Instructions

1.  Mix 80g of water with coconut milk and set the mixture aside.
2.  In a big bowl, dissolve 2 tbsp sugar in 40g of water.
3.  Add in the glutinous rice flour and the coconut milk mixture. 
4.  Add in 2 tbsp cooking oil (optional ).
5.  Mix all the ingredients together and knead into a smooth dough.
6.  Divide the dough into 8 equal portions.
7.  Roll out one portion of dough and flatten to form a small circle.
8.  Place one tsp of red bean paste onto the centre of the dough.
9.  Wrap up the red bean paste and roll between both hands to form a ball. Flatten the ball to form a small disc.
10.  Repeat the steps to complete making 8 pancakes.
11.  Add some oil to a frying pan and pan-fry the rice cakes on both sides until done.

Long Beans & Dried Shrimps Pancake

Long Beans & Dried Shrimps Pancake

 

 Tastes good

This pancake is the result of a comment by Rose, who is one of our readers who had read and commented on our post,  " Mixed Vegetables Pancake".

Thank you Rose, for your comment and suggestion. And yes, this long beans and dried shrimps version is rather similar to my mixed vegetables pancake.The long beans are crunchy and the dried shrimps fragrant. We ate it by dipping it in chili sauce.

Ingredients

100g long beans, 

50g dried shrimps 
250 ml water
80g glutinous rice flour
80g plain flour
20g rice flour

Some cooking oil for pan frying the pancakes

 

 

Seasoning Ingredients

 
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/ tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp cooking oil
dash of pepper

Instructions

1.  Wash the long beans and cut them into very thin slices
2.  Wash the dried shrimps and chop them up 
3.  Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl to form a batter
4.  Heat up a non-stick frying pan and ladle a few spoonfuls of the batter into the frying pan
5.  Flip over to fry the other side of the pancake once the edges of the pancake start to curl
6.  Fry until both sides are golden brown
7.  Dish up onto a plate 
8.  Continue to fry more pancakes until all the batter is used up

Mixed Vegetables Pancake

Mixed Vegetables Pancake

 

 Mixed vegetable pancake

 

This pancake is my youngest son's favourite. It has been a long time since I last made this. In fact I had almost forgotten about this pancake until my youngest son reminded me to make it for him for breakfast. So here it is.

 

Ingredients

50g dried shrimps, soaked and chopped
4 mushrooms, soaked and chopped
80g carrots, diced
1 stalk Chinese celery, chopped
80g flour
160g glutinous rice flour
50g rice flour
30g tapioca flour
450 ml water

Seasoning Ingredients

 

1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
3 tbsp cooking oil

Top left : Chopped Chinese celery. Top right : dried shrimps

Bottom left : chopped carrots. Bottom right : chopped mushroom

Instructions

1.  Combine all the chopped vegetables and mix them together with the four types of flour, water and cooking oil.
2.  Add in the seasoning ingredients and stir to mix everything together evenly.
3.  Heat a small frying pan and ladle 2 to 3 spoonfuls of batter into the heated frying pan. Make sure the whole base of the frying pan is coated with the batter.
4.  Once the edges starts to curl, flip over to fry the other side until both sides of the pancake are golden brown
5.  Repeat the process until all the batter is used up
6.  Serve the pancakes with chili sauce

Kuih Koci 可吉糕

 Kuih Koci  可吉糕

 Three cone-shaped kuih koci

 

Banana Leaves

8 pieces of 15cm X 20cm banana leaves
Blanch the banana leaves in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain away the water and wipe them dry before use

Ingredients For The Skin

2 cups glutinous rice flour
1 1/4 cups coconut milk ( add 3/4 cup of water to 1/2 a cup of grated coconut to extract 1 1/4 cup of coconut milk. Sieve the coconut milk to get rid of any traces of grated coconut left in the coconut milk)
1/2 tsp sugar
a sprinkle of salt
1 tbsp oil


Dissolve the salt and sugar in the coconut milk. Mix this with the oil and glutinous rice flour together to form a smooth dough. Divide the dough into 8 portions. Cover with a piece of towel and set aside for later use.

Ingredients For The Filling

 

1 cup grated coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 pandan (screw-pine) leaf
A pinch of salt

Combine all the above ingredients together in a small pot or saucepan and cook over slow fire until the sugar is dissolved and all the ingredients are well combined and dry.  Discard the pandan leaf. Let it cool and divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Form them into smooth balls.

Instructions

1.  Take one portion of the dough and flatten it into a circle and wrap a portion of the filling in it. Repeat until all the 8 portions are completed.
2.   Roll a banana leaf into a cone. Secure the loose edges with staples to form a cone
3.   Brush a little oil on the inside of the cone
4.   Put the wrapped dough into the banana leaf cone and fold up the edges.
5.  Steam over boiling water for 20 minutes

Note: See my other post on how to steam food under "Kitchen Tips"

An unwrapped and cut opened kuih koci

Mooncake: Snowskin Mooncake 冰皮月饼

Mooncake: Snowskin Mooncake 冰皮月饼

  Snow white snowskin mooncakes

 My first attempt at making snowskin mooncakes

 Recipe Source : adapted from Flavours Magazine


Today I am sharing my first attempt at making snowskin mooncakes. It is known locally as "Ping Pei" mooncakes.  No baking is required for snowskin mooncakes.

Ingredients For the Snowskin 

( makes 5 mooncakes only )

100g Hong Kong flour
70g glutinous rice flour ( Kao Fen )
125 ml iced pre-boiled water
110g icing sugar
1 1/2 tbsp corn oil
food colouring of choice ( optional )

Ingredients For The Lotus Seed Paste or Lin Yoong In Cantonese

 

250g lotus seed ( buy the type with red skin )
3/4 tbsp lye water ( Kan Sui )
170 ml peanut oil
200g sugar
1/2 tbsp maltose ( optional )

Instructions To Make Lotus Seed Paste 

 

1.  Add lye water to the lotus seeds. Mix well. Leave aside for 20 minutes
2.  After 20 minutes, pour in boiling water and cover the lotus seed for 20 to 30 minutes
3.  Strain and wash lotus seeds to remove the red skins and the greenish embryos inside the seeds
4.  Add water to the cleaned lotus seeds to 5 cm above the lotus seeds
5.  Boil until soft and the liquid has almost dried up
6.  Blend the lotus seeds together with the liquid.
7.  Heat wok with 1/4 of the peanut oil and 1/4 of the sugar, stir until golden brown
8.  Add in the blended lotus paste and cook until well blended
9.  Add in the rest of the remaining ingredients and cook for about 30 minutes or until the lotus paste no longer sticks to the side of the wok
10. Cool completely and divide the lotus seed paste into 5 balls of equal portions

Instructions To Make the Snowskin 

1.  Spread the Hong Kong flour in a dish and steam over boiling water for 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely and remove any wet lumps, then sift the flour.
2.  Sift icing sugar and the glutinous rice flour separately
3.  Put the iced cold preboiled water into a mixing bowl.
4.  Pour in the corn oil and mix thoroughly using a wire whisk
5.  Add in the sifted icing sugar, closely followed by the Hong Kong flour, bit by bit until evenly mixed
6.  Then add in the glutinous rice flour, stirring all the time. A dough will be formed
7.  Knead it lightly on a surface until smooth. Do not overwork the dough
8.  Divide the dough into 5 equal portions

Assembling the Snowskin Mooncake

1.  Dust a mooncake mould with glutinous rice flour
2.  Use your palms to shape one portion of the snowskin dough into a round flat disk
3.  Place one portion of the lotus seed paste filling onto the flatten disk and wrap it up
4.  Shape the mooncake into a mooncake mould and knock out the mooncake onto a plate
5.  The snowskin mooncake can be eaten at once. No baking is required
6.  However, the snowskin mooncakes are rather delicate when fresh
7.  It is best left in the refrigerator to firm up for one to two days before consuming.

  Mid-Autumn Festival is just round the corner, you still have time to make it!