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Month: June, 2010

Red Bean Dumplings (红豆汤圆)

30 June, 2010 (12:43) | Chinese food recipes | By: admin

June 26th, 2010 | Chinese, Chinese, Chinese Recipes, Cookbook | 17 Comments

I have a good news to share about my Chinese recipes cookbook!!

The recipes development, cooking, food styling and photography are pretty much done, and I am almost ready for recipes testing involving you—my loyal readers and fans. I will be needing your help and will announce it on Rasa Malaysia in the next few weeks, including a sneak preview of the food photography (they are very different from what you see here and all shot with my professional camera, Canon 5D Mark II)! I am very excited and I hope you are, too.

Anyway, I have been cooking up a storm and working very hard on the cookbook since April. It has been fun, challenging, and a great learning process. As a result of the recipes development, I have accumulated a lot of random ingredients in my refrigerator—leftover items used in the recipes, which I have to get rid of. One of them is a can of red bean paste that had been sitting in the dark corner of my refrigerator for over a month! It kept well so I didn™t want to just toss it away. I decided to clear the space finally and made it into red bean dumplings. I have to say that it was a great way to use up leftover red bean paste, for something sweet and pleasing…

Red bean dumpling (红豆汤圆) is a common dessert in Chinese cuisine (the other is black sesame dumplings). The red bean paste is encased in sticky rice balls, boiled, and then served in ginger syrup. It’s a wonderfully refreshing dessert that anyone can make at home. Traditionally, red bean paste is made from scratch, but the canned version is as good as it gets. You can find it at Chinese, Japanese, or Asian stores. If you like dumplings, do try out this red bean dumplings recipe!

Red Bean Dumplings Recipe (红豆¤åœ)
Makes 10 dumplings

Ingredients:

4 oz glutinous rice flour (sticky rice flour)
100 ml water
3 oz canned red bean paste
Water, for boiling the dumplings

Ginger Syrup

3 cups water
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, lightly pounded with the back of a cleaver
Rock sugar to taste

Method:

Mix the glutinous rice flour with the water in a bowl until it forms a smooth paste and no longer sticks to your hand. Divide the dough and red bean past into 10 balls each. Gently roll the sticky rice balls and red bean paste into ball shape using your palm. To wrap the dumplings, flatten a sticky rice balls using your palm and place a red bean ball in the center. Fold the edges to seal tight. Gently roll the dumplings using your palms again. Make sure there is no leakage. Place the dumplings on a piece of parchment paper.

Prepare the ginger syrup by boiling the water. Add the ginger  into the water and boil for 10-15 minutes with medium heat. Add rock sugar (to taste) and boil for another 5 minutes. Lower heat to simmer.

Heat up another pot of water and bring it to boil. Drop the dumplings into the boiling water. As soon as they float to the top, transfer them out and into the ginger syrup. Turn off the heat and serve the red bean dumplings immediately.

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Top 12 Wok Tips

29 June, 2010 (08:36) | Chinese food recipes | By: admin

May 26th, 2010 | Cooking Tips | 34 Comments

I get a lot of emails about wok, but truth to told, I am not an expert in the subject matter even though I do use a wok. All my wok knowledge came from my late mother: seasoning it to “open the wok,” the basic tips/techniques how to properly use a wok, and how to control the heat. I am really not in a position to advise you on carbon steel wok versus cast iron wok, etc. That’s why I have invited my friend Eleanor Hoh, also known as Wok Star, to share the top 12 wok tips that everyone could use. A special thanks to Eleanor for sending me her wok kit (as pictured above) when I first inked my book deal. Please welcome Wok Star to Rasa Malaysia and leave your wok questions in the comment section.

Thanks for inviting me to be a guest on Rasa Malaysia! I love your beautiful site which promotes the best in Asian culture and cuisine, so I am very thrilled to be included. As a wok enthusiast, cooking teacher and creator of a Wok Star Kit, I hear a lot of common mistakes people make when attempting wok cooking. There’s a lot of very confusing information out there, so, here are my…

TOP 12 WOK TIPS
from Wok Star Eleanor Hoh

1. Cooking in a wok requires the right technique, the right heat, the right seasonings = Wok Star!

2. Declutter your kitchen: use your wok for stir frying, steaming, stewing, deep frying, smoking and soups.

3. Leave your wok out at all times so it’s convenient. If you don’t see it, you don’t use it…

4. Getting the wrong wok & not seasoning it right can set you up for failure.

5. A lightweight cast iron wok is BEST. Who wants to lift a 15 lb. wok every night?

6. One handle woks tip over when you have food in it plus the handle gets in the way.

7. Round bottom woks need direct flames i.e. gas for maximum contact & to control your heat.

8. Flat bottom woks do not give you a natural stir fry motion, uses more oil & were made for electric stoves. See no. 11 & 12.

9. Non-stick woks cannot be used above medium heat according to manufacturer’s warning but high heat is ESSENTIAL to sear meat and for crunchy veggies.

10. Gas stove owners: use the smallest burner so heat is focused for your wok.

11. Electric stove owners: a portable butane gas stove solves the problem of cooking with your wok!

12. A Wok Star is someone who develops their own cooking style and thinks outside the box.

For more on how to become a Wok Star, visit the website and my blog.

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Authentic Chinese Food – Hunan Cuisine

28 June, 2010 (06:39) | Chinese Food Culture | By: admin

Authentic Chinese foods isn’t the sort of foods that you get from your neighborhood takeaway restaurant. Authentic Chinese foods is regional, provincial and 1 of those regional cuisines is from the Hunan province.

Additional than sixty four million individuals live inside the Hunan province of central China where the cooking continues to be influenced by all sorts of cuisines. The region has vast areas of agricultural land producing plentiful crops too as becoming residence to one of the largest freshwater lakes in China, which naturally has had its own influence about the cuisine.

You will find so many ingredients from which to select that Hunan chefs can’t just make a simple meal by chucking meat and vegetables into a wok. No, Hunan cuisine consists of complex flavours and is prepared really carefully, taking as long as necessary to get the results totally perfect.

A single typically elaborate dish is Orange Beef – beef which continues to be left to marinate overnight in wine, white pepper and egg whites then deep fried in very hot oil, drained then fried again until crisp. The beef is then added to stir fried dried chillies, ginger, garlic, fresh chilli, spring onions and orange peel. A sauce mix of soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, Chinese white rice vinegar, chicken stock and ground white pepper is then additional to coat the beef.

Another characteristic of Hunan cooking could be the liberal use of chillies.

Dishes are generally made utilizing lots of fresh chillies, complete with seeds, so if you’re tasting Hunan cookery for the very first time, be certain to have plenty of yoghurt or bread to hand to mitigate the heat or you may discover that beer is additional pleasant and equally effective.

Oh and you will need paper handkerchiefs to mop up the tears likewise……. tears of delight, naturally.Rice is prevalent in Hunan province, so unlike other Chinese cuisines, such as Mandarin which uses additional wheat, Hunan cookery characteristics rice likewise as beef and pork which are abundant here.

Naturally, the Dongting lake is house to fish and seafood likewise as ducks.

Shellfish is typically served dressed with shallots and garlic although the duck (and chicken as well) is often seared before getting simmered or fried, giving it a wonderful crispy skin, also typical of this region.

Steamed and stewed meat are also standard of Hunan cooking which together with the use of chilles, result in the tasty and wholesome meal. Frequently, the meat applied is smoked, cured pork which is a local speciality and outcomes in the delicious dark gravy.

Hunan cuisine is extremely varied, depending around the season. In summer the climate is extremely warm and humid so spices are utilised liberally to open the pores and allow sweating. In winter a dish referred to as Lover’s Hot Pot is usually eaten that is part spicy and partly mild.

Whatever you eat of this cuisine, you’re bound to love it.

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George Town Festival 2010

28 June, 2010 (05:45) | Chinese food recipes | By: admin

June 12th, 2010 | Announcements | 5 Comments

It was two years ago when I read with excitement that George Town, my hometown Penang, had been inscribed on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. As I have always preached on this blog, George Town is a hidden gem with remarkable historical, architectural, cultural, heritage, and glorious culinary assets—which the world has come to discover, thanks to UNESCO. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, George Town is now “certified” cool and travel-worthy, and I have personally witnessed many positive growth in the past two years: international and domestic tourist arrival, heritage preservation, and global media coverage. Born and raised in Penang, I couldn’t be more proud of George Town.

Starting ,George Town will be celebrating its second anniversary as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with George Town Festival 2010, a month-long extravaganza featuring over 80 programs in art, food, film, dance, culture, theater, and more. Exciting programs include (but not limited to) a heritage shophouse trail, a spectacular Nyonya theater “Emily of Emerald Hill,†colorful Chinese Opera by Ghaffar Pourazar, screening of movies shot in Penang, etc. George Town will become the center stage for local and international artists, cultural groups, professional performers, travelers and tourists alike…

If you are planning a trip to Penang, come in July for this memorable occasion. The George Town Festival 2010 will bring you a kaleidoscope of fun and festive activities. The celebration is on!

For more information about George Town Festival 2010, please visit here. If you need a friendly and knowledgeable guide in Penang, check out Rasa Malaysia Penang Private Tour service.

See you in Penang!

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Malaysian-style BBQ Seafood

28 June, 2010 (05:44) | Chinese food recipes | By: admin

June 22nd, 2010 | Malay Cooking, Malaysian Food, Malaysian Recipes | 18 Comments

My good friends Farina and Michael came over to visit last week and we made some Malaysian-style BBQ seafood, inspired by this popular hawker fare in Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia. They are called Portuguese-style baked seafood. There is really nothing Portuguese about it but Malaysia do have some Portuguese descendants because Malacca was a Portuguese colony in the 16th century. So perhaps this is how they bake their seafood—with fiery sambal, okras, and wrapped with aluminum foil.

Farina and I enjoyed our BBQ so much. As Malaysians, we concluded that this is probably the best way to serve seafood BBQ-style. Our favorite is the BBQ clams with sambal and okras. It was simply lip smackingly delicious…

To prepare these mouthwatering Malaysian-style BBQ, all you need are your favorite seafood and shellfish: shimp, squid, fish (we like stingray or white pomfret), clams, and some okras. Mix the seafood of your choice (you can also do a seafood combination) with sambal, okra, and wrap the aluminum foil tightly (preferably two layers to avoid leakage), and off onto the grill. That’s it.

Try this new Recipe this summer. You will not be disappointed!

Farina’s Malay-style Sambal Recipe
Source: Salt n Turmeric

A:
1 small bottle of store-bought sambal oelek, 8oz
2 medium-sized onion, quartered
5-in ginger
1-2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, grated
1 tablespoon toasted belacan powder

B:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons tamarind juice (extract from tamarind pulp and water)
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 cup sugar

1. Grind all the ingredients in A.
2. Heat up the oil in the wok on medium high heat. Put the above the ground ingredients A in. Keep stirring for about 10 minutes.
3. Add water, tomato paste, tamarind juice, salt, and sugar. Continue stirring for another 10 minutes. Add more salt or sugar to taste. Dish out and set aside.

Cook’s Note:

  1. Bottled sambal oelek is very spicy, but the above sambal recipe will “dilute” the spiciness. The recipe yields about two bottles or more sambal. You don’t have to use up all the sambal for the BBQ seafood, just use enough for each seafood parcel.
  2. You can also try out my grilled fish sambal recipe here, which is more Nyonya-style.

PREVIOUS POST: Sesame Oil Chicken　(麻¹é¸)

NEXT POST: Red Bean Dumplings (红豆汤圆)

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Red Bean Dumplings (红豆汤圆)

28 June, 2010 (05:42) | Chinese food recipes | By: admin

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Vegetable Chow Mein Recipe

28 June, 2010 (05:30) | Chinese Food Culture | By: admin

Don’t have fresh egg noodles on hand for this chow mein recipe? Try substituting an Italian pasta. For an added touch, try garnishing the chow mein with a few sprigs of fresh coriander leaves before serving.
Serves 3 to 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound fresh egg noodles
  • 1 can bamboo shoots
  • 1 can water chestnuts
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 1 cup fresh snow peas
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 2 slices ginger
  • 2 TB dark soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 TB Chinese rice vinegar
  • 1 cup mung bean sprouts
  • 2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed

Preparation:

Blanch the noodles in boiling water for 3 – 5 minutes, or cook according to the package directions.
Prepare the vegetables: Rinse all the vegetables and drain thoroughly. (Rinse the bamboo shoots and canned water chestnuts under warm running water for several minutes to remove any tinny taste). Cut the red bell pepper in half, remove the seeds, and cut into thin strips. String the snow peas and cut the celery into thin strips on the diagonal Mince the ginger.
Heat the wok and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the minced ginger and stir-fry briefly until aromatic.
Add the water chestnuts. Stir-fry briefly, and add the other vegetables except for the mung bean sprouts. Stir-fry briefly and add the noodles.
Stir in the dark soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar. Stir in the bean sprouts. Cook for a few more seconds and serve hot.
Each serving contains (based on 3 servings): Calories 469*, 76 g Carbohydrates, 16 g Protein, 13 g Fat (2 g Saturated Fat), 72 mg Cholesterol, 8 g Fibre, 907 mg Potassium. An excellent source of potassium. A good source of calcium, iron and dietary fiber.
*The calorie count goes down to 352 when based on 4 servings.

More Chow Mein recipes
Tofu and Cashew Chow Mein Recipe
Basic Chicken, Pork or Shrimp Chow Mein Recipe

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http://chinesefood.about.com/od/vegetablesrecipes/r/chowmein.htm

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Vegetarian Potstickers

28 June, 2010 (04:40) | Chinese Food Culture | By: admin

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound firm tofu
  • 1/2 cup finely shredded carrot
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped bok choy
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped bamboo shoots
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped garlic chives
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 package potsticker or gyoza wrappers
  • 2 tablespoons oil for frying the dumplings

Preparation:

Drain the tofu, cut into cubes and mash. Wash and prepare the vegetables. Combine the tofu with the remainder of the ingredients and seasonings.

Lay out one of the gyoza wrappers in front of you. Dip your finger in the water and moisten the edges of the wrapper.

Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper.

Fold the gyoza wrapper over the filling and pinch the edges to seal it shut. (You may want to use a cornstarch/water mixture to make this easier).

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or wok.When oil is ready, carefully add the dumplings and cook on high heat until golden brown (about 1 minute).
Without turning the dumplings over, add 1/2 cup of water and cover. Cook for about 1 minute to cook the raw filling and then uncover and continue cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Serve the potstickers with the burnt side on top, with potsticker dipping sauce or soy sauce mixed with minced ginger for dipping.

The Vegetarian Potstickers recipe has an average rating of 5.0, based on 1 reviews.

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/vegetarianrecipes/r/vegpotstickers.htm

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Cantonese Beef With Peppers

27 June, 2010 (23:13) | Chinese Food Culture | By: admin

Beef and bell peppers are cooked with a savory black bean sauce in this Cantonese home-cooked dish.

Serves 2 to 4

Main Chinese Recipes Index

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 pound steak (sirloin or flank is good)
  • Marinade:
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as canola
  • Other:
  • 2 bell peppers, 1 green and 1 orange or red
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese fermented black beans or black bean sauce, or to taste
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 large slices ginger
  • 4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth or water

Preparation:

Cut the beef into rectangular slices, about the size of a large postage stamp and 1/4-inch thick. Add the marinade ingredients and marinate the beef for 25 to 30 minutes.

While the beef is marinating, prepare the vegetables. Remove the stems and seeds from the bell peppers and chop. Peel the onion and chop.

Use a cleaver or knife to chop the beans into tiny pieces. Finely chop the garlic and ginger. Mix the chopped garlic with the black beans.

Heat the wok over medium-high to heat heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the beef. Brown briefly, then stir-fry until it changes color and is about 80 percent cooked. Remove the beef from the wok.

Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger and the garlic and bean mixture. Stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the onion. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes, then add the green pepper. Stir-fry for another minute, then add the remaining pepper.

Pour in the chicken broth. Heat to boiling. Add the beef back into the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for a few more minutes. Taste and season with salt, pepper or soy sauce if desired. Serve hot.

The Cantonese Beef With Peppers Recipe has an average rating of 3.0, based on 2 reviews.

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Whether you’re a novice chicken chef, or you’re looking for something new, here’s the ultimate guide on how to cook chicken.
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http://chinesefood.about.com/od/cantonesecuisine/r/beefbeansauce.htm

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Healthy Chinese recipes – Chinese food calories

27 June, 2010 (21:34) | Chinese Food Culture | By: admin

Chinese
Recipes – Calories in Chinese Food 

Want to know the
calories in Chinese food? The following recipes all have a nutritional breakdown, including calorie count, percentage of
calories that come from fat, sodium content, and more. With the exception of the
recipes from Stephen Wong’s “Heart Smart Chinese Cooking”, the nutritional
breakdown is calculated using MasterCook 8.0 software.

Almond
Float – Low Fat, Low Sodium
Chinese
“No-Meat Balls” – Vegetarian, Low Fat, Low Calorie
Lettuce
Wraps – Low Calorie, Low Fat
Shrimp
With Lobster Sauce (take-out style, with white sauce)- low calorie 
Steamed
Fish – (low fat, low carb, low calorie)
Stir-fried
Lettuce  – low fat, low carb, low calorie
Zesty
Zucchini Stir-fry
– low fat, low carb, low calorie

Back to Main Recipe Index

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