HOMEMADE "BAK KUA"

BAK KUA seems to be a 'must have' during great festivals like Chinese New Year. In Malaysia, it's easy to just buy this from the shops, as it's available in lots of places. But for us who live in Melbourne... BAK KUA is a luxury here! It's expensive, and does not taste as good as those in Malaysia. Thus, I've decided to make my own. Turns out...yummy. :P

Ingredients:

500g pork mince, with some fats

Seasoning:

1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp shaoxing wine

3/4 cup sugar

Method:

Put pork mince in a big bowl. Add in seasoning.

Use chopsticks to stir in one direction until the meat becomes gluey.

Put some gluey minced meat on a piece of baking paper. Cover with a layer of cling wrap, and then roll it with a rolling pin, to 2mm thick. (Do not use aluminium foil as the meat would stick to the foil!)

Put baking paper with minced meat onto a baking tray.

Bake in pre-heated oven at 125'C for 20minutes.

After that, increase oven temperature to 180'C and bake for further 10 minutes. Keep monitoring the progress as it burns easily.

Take it out, and flip is over to another piece of baking paper. Bake for another 10 minutes at 180'C.

Once done, take it out to cool. And then cut into pieces.

Sam Pui Kai 三杯鸡

This is a Taiwanese delicacy. Love it when I first tried it in a Taiwanese restaurant in Desa Sri Hartamas KL, named Fong Lye. So I have been searching for this recipe and attempted it myself. YUMMY!

Ingredients:

3 pcs of chicken thigh fillet

1 tbsp cooking oil

1 tbsp sesame seed oil

1 tsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

50g basil leaves

2 tbsp tomato sauce

3 tbsp shaoxing wine

100g ginger slices

5 cloves of garlic (chopped)

1 tsp sugar (or rock sugar)

2 red chili for garnishing (optional)

some spring onion for garnishing (optional)

Method:

Heat up cooking oil, add the chicken thigh fillet and stir fry for 3 minutes. Dish out and set aside.

Heat up sesame seed oil, add ginger slices and garlic.

Add tomato sauce, light soy sauce, dark soya sauce and sugar. Stir to combine all.

Add chicken and simmer on slow heat.

Add the shaoxing wine (this must be done only with slow heat)

Let it simmer till the sauce thickens, add the basil leaves and stir fry.

Add red chili and spring onion for garnishing. Serve hot.

by Aggie

LOR MAI KAI (Malaysian Glutinous Rice with Chicken)

Lor Mai Kai is one of the favourite items while having dimsum breakfast. This is a Malaysian style glutinous rice with chicken, which tastes so good, when served with a pot of chinese tea.

Ingredients:

400g glutinous rice (rinsed and soaked for at least 5 hours or preferably overnight)

200g chicken thigh fillet, cut into bite-sizes

1 chinese sausage (Lap Cheong) (sliced)

2 chinese mushrooms (soaked and halved)

3/4 tbsp chopped garlic

1/2 tbsp chopped ginger

1 tbsp sesame oil

3/4 cup water

Seasoning:

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 1/2 tbsp light soya sauce

2 tsp thick soya sauce

1 tsp Shao Hsing Hua Tiau wine (chinese cooking wine)

Salt and pepper to taste

3/4 tsp sugar

Method:

Drain soaked glutinous rice.

Heat sesame oil, fry ginger and garlic until fragrant.

Add chicken, mushrooms and seasoning.

Stir well, add glutinous rice and combine. Pour in water and stir until water is well absorbed into the glutinous rice.

Arrange a few slices of chinese sausage into each rice bowl. Spoon the glutinous rice into the bowl, press lightly with a spoon to flatten the surface.

Steam the glutinous rice over a medium heat, or in a steamer, for 40 minutes, or when the rice is done. Turn out the rice onto a plate, and serve while it's steaming hot. :)

*This can make 6 bowls of Lor Mai Kai.

by Aggie

Samurai Eggs

Konichiwa! This recipe is my own version of Deviled Eggs of the East. I called it Samurai Eggs. Give it a try, sure you would like it.




Ingredients:
6 Eggs
1 1/2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Wasabi sauce
pinch of salt
Black pepper & Parsley for garnishing

Method:
Boil eggs for about 4minutes
Remove and put in cold water to cool it down
Peel shell off eggs, cut into half and remove all egg yolks
Place egg whites on a plate
Mash egg yolks and mix mayonnaise, wasabi and salt until smooth
Use a pastry bag and pipe filling into egg whites
Garnish with black pepper and parsley
Voila...yr samurai eggs are ready


Note: You can chill for 1hr before serving