Category: recipe

Basic muffins

-ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 4 tbsp butter (or shortening)

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-method

  1. preheat oven to 200oC
  2. combine flour, baking powder and salt (A)
  3. melt butter (B)
  4. beat eggs in separate bowl and then add sugar, milk and vanilla to eggs (C)
  5. thoroughly grease and flour muffin pan
  6. Pour in (B) into (C) and stir.
  7. Add the above into (A) and mix but don’t over mix.
  8. Pour batter to pan and bake, 20 min until cooked (brownish)

Traditional white bread

-ingredients

  • 2 units (or 1/4 oz) packages active dry yeast
  • 3 tbsp white sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups warm water (45oC)
  • 3 tbsp butter (or margarine)
  • 1 tsp salt (to taste)
  • 6 1/2 cups bread flour

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-method

  1. in a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water
  2. stir in butter, salt and 2 cups flour
  3. stir in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time
  4. beat well after each addition
  5. flour board lightly and knead until smooth and elastic, 8 min
  6. oil the bowl lightly, place dough, turn to other side and coat with oil.
  7. cover with damp cloth in warm place until dough double in size, 1 hr
  8. depress dough and place in lightly floured surface
  9. divide dough into 2 equal pieces and form into loaves
  10. place them into two lightly greased loaf pan
  11. cover loaves with damp cloth and let rise until double in size, 40 min
  12. preheat oven 220oC
  13. bake at 190oC for 30 min or until top is golden brown and the bottom of the load sounds hollow when tapped (suggest load risen)

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Chinese cruller (yau char kwai)

-ingredients

–ingredient (A)

  • 300 g high protein flour
  • 50 g flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder

–ingredient (B)

  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp lukewarm water
  • 2 tsp instant yeast

–ingredient (C)

  • 250 ml water
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/8 tsp alum (pak fun)
  • 1/8 ammonia powder (chow fun)
  • 1 tsp salt

note: alum is K.Al(SO4)2.12H2O or NH4.Al(SO4)2 whereas ammonia powder is NH5CO3. Available from McCormick

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–method

  1. mix ingredient (A) with electric mixer.
  2. mix ingredient (B) and allow to froth, 10 min.
  3. combine ingredient (C) together
  4. Mix (B) into (A) well, followed by (C) and beat for 5 min until soft dough forms.
  5. Cover and leave aside to double in size.
  6. turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.
  7. roll out into a long rectangle, then cut into strips
  8. place two strips, one atop the other and allow to rest, 5 to 10 min
  9. heat wok with oil until hot. press lightly on the two strips of dough with a satay stick
  10. stretch the strips a little and lower into hot oil
  11. deep fry until puffy and golden brown

 

Thai Massaman chicken curry

The recipe produces dish similar to hai Express Massaman curry.

-ingredients

  • 1/2 to 1 pound (0.45 kg) chicken pieces or chopped chicken breast/thigh
  • 1-2 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
  • 1 unit of 14 oz (or 400 ml) coconut milk
  • 1 small red pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 medium tomato, sliced
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
  • 1/3 cup onion, sliced
  • 1 thumb-piece ginger, grated
  • 4-5 cloves garlic
  • 1 red chili, sliced or 1/2 to 3/4 tsp chilli flakes or other alternatives
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1 stalk lemon grass, minced
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp tumeric
  • 1/4 cup, chopped unsalted roasted cashews
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp whole cumin seed
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1/8 tsp cardamon
  • 1 tsp tamarind, or substitute with lime
  • 3/4 tsp shrimp paste (belacan)
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar

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-method

  1. heat wok
  2. add oil and saute onion, ginger, garlic and chilli
  3. stir until fragrant
  4. add the stock and the following: lemonglass, bay leaves, tumeric, chopped cashews, ground coriander, whole cumin seed, white pepper, cardamon, tamarind, shrimp paste, fish sauce, and sugar.
  5. Stir and bring to a light boil
  6. add in chicken, stir to coat with the spicy liquid, then add the coconut milk and potatoes
  7. stir and bring back up to a boil
  8. reduce heat to low, or just until a good simmer, 30-40 min or until chicken and potatoes are tender
  9. add red pepper and tomato last
  10. taste and season, i.e. fish sauce (salty), chilli (spicy), sugar (if too sour), tamarind (if too salty/sweet), coconut milk (if too spicy).
  11. Add cashew. Mix and serve.

Spicy Assam fish

-ingredients

  • 1 kg mackerel (or ikan tenggiri), washed and sliced into pieces
  • 300 g ladies fingers, cut into halves diagonally with both ends removed
  • 1 medium tomato,cut into 6 wedges
  • 50 g assam paste,mixed with 200 ml water
  • cooking oil

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—spices

  • 3 stalks lemongrass
  • 25 g dried chilli, soaked in water and drained
  • 150 g shallots, peeled
  • 15 g tumeric, sliced
  • 10 g galangal, sliced
  • 20 g roasted shrimp paste (belacan)
  • 2 to 3 candlenuts
  • 1 stalk ginger flower

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—seasoning

  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt

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—garnishing

  • 1 ginger flower bud
  • 3 to 4 thinly-sliced lemongrass stalks

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-method

  1. wash the spices and using a blender or a pestle and mortar, blend them until fine
  2. heat cooking oil in a wok
  3. stir fry all blended spices until fragrant
  4. pour in the assa paste-water mixture and bring to boil
  5. lace ladies fingers, tomato wedges and fish in the wok and simmer until cooked
  6. add sugar, salt, and oyster sauce to taste
  7. garnish with ginger flower and lemon grass

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Fatt put (yam ring)

-Ingredients

  • 500 g yam, cubed
  • Enough oil for deep frying
  • 75 g wheat starch (tang mien fun used for dim sum)
  • just enough boiling hot water

–

—ingredient A

  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp condensed chicken stock
  • 1/4 tsp Chinese five spice powder
  • 75 g shortening

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-method

  1. steam yam until soft and tender
  2. mash while still hot then mix in wheat flour and just enough boiling water
  3. mix well into dough
  4. add ingredient (A) and combine
  5. form the dough into a ring shape
  6. heat oil in wok
  7. place yam ring into a large enough perforated ladle and deep fry until crispy and golden brown
  8. remove and drain well
  9. this will be used as ‘bowl’ to place any dish, e.g. soy sauce mushroom chicken.

Peanut cookies

-Ingredients

  • 4 cups ground roasted peanuts
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (icing sugar)
  • 1 cup peanut oil
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp shortening (or margarine)
  • 1 egg yolk, beaten slightly for egg wash

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-method

  1. mix ground peanut, sugar, oil, shortening and flour together until well combined
  2. shape into small balls
  3. flatten it slightly
  4. Glaze with egg yolk
  5. bake at 180oC, 20 min or until golden brown
  6. Cool

Eclair au Chocolate

-Ingredients

—Eclair dough

  • 2/3 cup of milk
  • 2/3 cup of water
  • 4 oz butter
  • 1 cup flour
  • 5 eggs
  • 2 tsp granulated sugar
  • pinch of salt

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—chocolate cream filling

  • 6 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup flour

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—chocolate icing

  • 5 o unsweetened chocolate
  • 2 oz butter
  • 1/4 cup water

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-method

—Eclair dough

  1. preheat oven to 218oC
  2. in a pot, mix water, butter, sugar and salt; bring to boil
  3. Once butter has completely melted, take off flame and slowly pour in flour and stir constantly
  4. Place pot back to flame and continue to stir with wooden spoon
  5. continue to stir and knead with spoon until dough dries out and stop sticking to the sides of pot
  6. remove pot from flame
  7. add eggs, one at a time, stirring energetically
  8. fill baking sac with batter
  9. butter a baking sheet
  10. squeeze out ‘finger-sized Eclair’ onto baking sheet, well spaced
  11. bake for 10 min
  12. then turn down to 196oC and bake for 10-12 min with oven door slightly ajar

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—chocolate fillng

  1. melt chocolate (chopped) and mil in a pot, and bring to light boil. Remove from flame
  2. In a bowl, whisk yolks and sugar until whitens
  3. slowly add flour and stir
  4. slowly add chocolate and milk, stir until homogenous
  5. put back the pot onto flame
  6. bring to light boil
  7. stir constantly until cream thickens and become smooth
  8. when cream cools off (and Eclair cooled as well), begin filling the Eclairs
  9. Cut a small slit length-wise, and stuff cream using baking sac or spoon.

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—icing/glaze

  1. melt chocolate with water in a small pot over low flame
  2. once molten, add butter, whisk the whole time until it turns shinny and creamy
  3. remove from heat
  4. spread thin layer on each Eclair with a spatula
  5. wait until icing hardens and serve

Pickled papaya

This recipe can be used for other type of pickled fruits (e.g. mango) or veggies (e.g. cabbage, cucumber, ginger, and carrot)

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-ingredients

  • 1 green unripe papaya
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 5 to 6 red chillies (chilli padi)
  • 250 ml good quality vinegar
  • 250 ml water
  • 250 g sugar

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-method

  1. Cut away papaya skin.
  2. Slice papaya into thin slices
  3. Place in clean bowl, add salt, mix and allow to marinate, 1 hr until papaya soften
  4. squeeze out access liquid
  5. place vinegar, water and sugar into heavy based saucepan and bring to a low simmering boil, 10-15 min
  6. remove saucepan from heat and set aside to cool completely
  7. pack papaya slices and chilli padi in a glass jar.
  8. pour in cooled vinegar syrup
  9. allow to marinate 2-3 hrs before serving
  10. store in fridge for extra crunchy taste

Simplest Popiah wrapper

Popiah can be healthy and delectable diet. You can innovate with the popiah filling to suit your preference.

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Popiah wrapper

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-Ingredients

  • 600 g flour
  • 1 tsp gluten-rich tapioca flour (optional)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 200 ml water

–

-method

  1. sift through the dry ingredients
  2. mix the rest of the ingredients
  3. knead the dough (sometimes rest the dough in water overnight helps)
  4. it should be a bouncy texture, and should stick to your hand
  5. Heat up wok without oil and make sure to use non-stick pan (easier)
  6. when the wok is hot, spread the dough around the wok in a thin layer
  7. size is approx 6 inches in diameter
  8. remove when cooked, 30 sec

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other alternatives that uses egg will have slight changes in the popiah flavour that I’m accustomed to.

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Popiah fillng

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-Ingredients

  • 900 g icama thinly sliced
  • 1 large carrot
  • 2 to 4 pieces shitake mushroom, sliced thinly
  • 1 tbsp dried shrimps (soaked in water to soften)
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • Pinch salt
  • Dash of peper

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-method

  1. Heat wok with oil
  2. Saute dried shrimp until fragrant, then add in garlic.
  3. Add in jicama, carrot and mushroom. stir fry until softened.
  4. add in seasoning, e.g. light soy saue, oyster sauce, salt, and pepper.
  5. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer
  6. Add water to prevent drying and continue to simmer until jicama is softened to taste. add seasoning if required.

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-other ingredients to popiah

  • fried eggs, sliced thinly
  • sauces, e.g. cantonese sweet sauce (Tim cheong)
  • chilli sauce (with garlic)
  • lettuce
  • chicken shreds (stir-fried and coated with soy sauce)
  • Chinese sausage (lap cheung), sliced

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