Ham Sui Kok @ Deep Fried Savory Dumpling

Ham sui kok is also one of many dishes often seen in any dim sum restaurants. This is something we wouldn't want to miss. I just love the sweet delicious crispy crust with those juicy delicious fillings so much. Doesn't it sound so irresistible to you too! Besides, it doesn't cost much either and only very little ingredients are used. Come on lets join me for the fun.

Ingredients for dumpling skin :
(Recipe adapted from here)
(A)
2/3 cup wheat starch (tung mein fun)
2/3 cup boiling water
(stir boiling water into wheat starch slowly till combined, as shown as below picture)

(B)
2 cups glutinous rice flour
3/4 to 1 cup water
5 tbsp sugar

Method :
(1) add ingredients (B) into (A) and then knead till a soft & smooth dough is formed.
(2) then divide into 18-20 portions dough balls.
(3) flatten each dough by using a flat knife or dough cutter (by pressing).
(4) place in fillings and then seal nicely.
(5) finally, deep fried them till golden brown.



Ingredients for jicama fillings :
200-300gm jicama, shredded (one small size)
1 carrot, shredded
1 inch fresh ginger, cut into strips
salt & pepper
1 tspn vegetarian oyster sauce

Method :
(1) preheat frying pan with a little oil.
(2) fry ginger till brown and then add in jicama & carrot.
(3) off the heat after simmer for about 2 mins.
(4) stir in salt & pepper and the sauce, mix well.
(5) cool to room temperature before used.

It's best to be served while it's still hot. The crust is simply irresistible but be caution that the filling is very very hot. Well. this sure perfect for the winter!

I used vegetarian char siew in my recipe but you can replace it with meat char siew. Vegetarian char siew is actually something made of flour & soybeans and isn't too bad at all.


I also used very simple jicama filling which included shredded jicama, carrot & ginger. For a pure Buddhist vegetarian, they're not encourage to take garlic & onion in their cooking. It is believe that garlic & onion will cause the arises of mentality desire, or eager for something badly.
*
I'm sending this to 3 Hungry Tummies @ Muhibbah Malaysian Monday.

Homemade Tangerine Marmalade

Like every year, it's ghost festival here and everyone is still busy preparing the prayer (which lasted for one month under Chinese lunar calender)....to pay respect to the hungry ghosts and to our ancestors as well. I did mine 2 weeks ago and have loads of leftover tangerines after the prayer. The only way to clear them up is to transform them into marmalade! So, what are we waiting for....lets go ahead.

Ingredients :
8 cups sliced fresh tangerine
4 cups water
1kg sugar
4-5 fresh lemon
2 tbsp citric acid powder (optional)

Method :
(1) combine sliced tangerine, sugar and water into a big pot.
(2) squeeze in the lemon juice and then chuck in all the unused lemon.

(3) bring it to boil and let it go on for about 30 mins, then switch to medium heat and continue boiling till mixture is thickened.
(4) stir in citric acid and mix well, at the same time press lemon skin to release natural pectin and then remove it from the pot.

(5) off the heat once the marmalade is ready.
(6) keep all the marmalade into clean bottles/jars. Please follow the bottling & sealing method from here.

Don't they look super gorgeous! I have reduced quite a large portion of sugar from this recipe and it tastes as fabulous. I bet my mom going to be so craving for this.

Since tangerine has very soft skin, so we don't need to soak them before cooking it unlike lemons and oranges. The colour of this marmalade looks simply amazing and delightful. I love it on my toast very much. No wonder my mom said homemade jam always the best.
(tangerine marmalade, jam, sauce)

Chai Kuih @ Steamed Teochew Dumpling

Here, let me introduce you to another delicious local delicacy which you can easily get them from almost anywhere. Chai kuih is something looks quite similar to 'har gao' but with different mixed vegetables fillings and is much cheaper compare to 'har gao'. I remembered I used to buy this kuih from a lady riding on a bicycle when I was younger. It costs about twenty cents per piece and I will request for extra sesame seeds & her special homemade chilli sauce. And now, her son has taken over her business by riding on a motorcycle. Just imagine how time flies!

Here's what I did.

Ingredients for Dumpling Skin :
150gm wheat starch (tung mein fun)
100gm tapioca flour
a pinch of salt
420gm boiling water
5-6 tbsp cooking oil
*extra oil for brushing

Method :
(1) combine both flour and salt into a big bowl.
(2) then slowly stir in boiling water with a pair of chopsticks till a sticky dough is formed.
(3) leave dough aside covered, to slightly cool.
(4) add in oil little by little and knead till a smooth dough is formed.

Once the dough is ready, divide dough into 26-30 portions. Flatten each dough and place in the jicama fillings or char siew fillings. And make sure the dough is nicely sealed.

Here's the jicama fillings and vegetarian char siew fillings I prepared a days before. Yet is still the best to add in some chinese chives.

Now, preheat steamer with a cheese cloth place on the steamer rack. Arrange all the dumplings onto the rack once the steamer is ready and then steam for 10-12 mins.

HOT...HOT...HOT.... watch out the heat from the steamer! Oh, I just love it hot. Remove all the cooked dumplings to a plate and brush on a little oil to prevent sticking together.

Some 'chai kuih' recipes may required for glutinous rice flour but I would preferred to go without it cause I wanted the skin looks more translucent and shinny.
I'm sending this to 3 Hungry Tummies @ Muhibbah Malaysia Monday.
(asian cuisines, dumpling, chinese food, snack)

Chicken Taco Sandwich

Taco is a traditional Mexican dish which is usually serve with tortilla or taco shells. Taco fillings can be made with any meat and is cooked with special taco seasoning. I'm so thankful to have such chances to enjoy my own taco sandwiches. Thanks to Gertrude @ My Kitchen Snippet for sending me the spices & other seasonings a few months back. Too bad that no taco shells available here at this moment, yet it tastes as awesome as on those buns. My kids are so craving for it.

So, here's my little secret recipe. :o)

Ingredients for Chicken Taco Fillings :
400gm chicken minced meat
1 large yellow bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
3 stalk celery, diced
salt & pepper
1 pkt of Taco mixed spice

Method :
(1) preheat frying pan with some butter.
(2) stir in diced onion and chicken, let it simmer till cooked.
(3) now add in taco mixed spices and salt & pepper to taste, mixed to combine.
(4) finally, stir in celery and bell pepper, let them simmer for a little while.
(5) off the heat once it's done.

The addition of celery, onion and bell pepper is simply wonderful. It gives an extra sweetness to the meat and secondly I can get my kids to eat more greens. You know, it's never easy to get kids or teenagers to eat more vegetables these days.
Then, just fill the bread with whole lot of taco fillings. You can either having it with mayonnaise/mustard sauce or just go plain. Gosh, the juicy fillings simply amazing. It has very strong cumin, paprika & curry flavour in those spices. I bet you will love it too.

Steamed Sweet Pumpkin Kuih

Here's another sweet delicacy of Malaysia, except that pumpkin flavour kuih is seldom available at the local food stalls. I only managed to get them once a month from a local vegetarian food stall. Do you think you will have such patient to wait for another 30 days for something you're craving!!! ha... So, here's what I did.

Ingredients :

(A)
200gm mashed pumpkin
475ml coconut milk

(B)
250gm sugar
180ml water
pandan leaves
(combined all ingredients and leave to boil till sugar dissolved, then withdraw the leaves)

(C)
175gm rice flour
25gm green pea flour
140gm sago flour
1/2 tspn salt
(combined all ingredients and mix well)

Method :
(1) stir in ingredients (A) into ingredients (C) and mix to combine.

(2) then slowly add in ingredients (B) and beat into smooth batter.
(3) coat an 8" tray with some oil and preheat the steamer.
(4) pour batter to tray and let to steamed for about 45mins or untill set.
(5) leave to cool completely before slicing.

This kind of kuih is also quite suitable to serve at any parties. Hope you guys will love it too! Enjoy.

I'm sending this to 3 Hungry Tummies @ Muhibbah Malaysian Monday.
(desserts, traditional food, Asian cuisine, )

Blackberry & Raspberry Cheesecake

SURPRISE ! SURPRISE ! I managed to grab some raspberries & blackberries at Tesco last weekend. It was on sales. Raspberries at RM3.50 per prunet and blackberries is RM9.00 per prunet. I often see raspberries at the supermarket but not blackberries. Guess, it's my lucky day! However, I thought blackberries supposed to look slightly shorter than boysenberries. Aren't they....or in the opposite? Whatever the shape, they still look awesome.

Ingredients for Crust :
200gm digestive biscuit/Tiger biscuit
100gm butter, melted
(combine both ingredients to mix well and then press it to a 9" springfoam pan. Refrigerate for 30 mins.)

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Fillings :
500gm cream cheese, softened
1 canned condensed milk (400gm)
3 eggs
1/3 cup honey
1 tspn Homemade vanilla Extract
1 lemon zest & 1 lime zest
a pinch of salt
*1/2 cup fresh raspberry & 1/2 cup fresh blackberry
(coat berries with some flour)

Method :
(1) beat cream cheese till soft & fluffy.
(2) add in eggs, condensed milk, vanilla extract, honey and fruit zest to beat till combined.
(3) pour batter onto biscuit crust and spread the mixed berries over the top.
(4) finally, bake at 170'C for an hour or untill set.
(5) then leave to cool completely before refrigerate it overnight & serve.

This is the first time making cheesecake without using any sugar. I used honey & condensed milk instead and it tastes as good, not so sweet! In the other hand, the texture looks really firm and beautiful.
(cheesecake, boysenberry, blackberry, raspberry, cake, desserts)

Citrus Cheese Tea Bread

It has been started raining since the past few days. Probably, rainy season is here already. It's the best time to bake some warm bread for the family. I've made some really flavourful tea bread with cheese and citrus fillings. I'm calling it a tea bread cause it shapes in bun like bread and with frosting. There is tea cake and there's also tea bread! Any sweetened buns or bread to be eaten with tea is called as tea bread. In the other hand, tea cake can also be a bread or a cake and is served during afternoon tea. Normally, bread loaf with load of dried nuts or fruits & icing frosting topping is too considered as tea cake.

(Recipe Adapted from here)
Ingredients for bread dough :
3/4 cup full cream milk
2-1/4 tspn yeast
200gm shredded cheddar cheese
3 eggs
100gm sugar
4-1/4 cups flour
1-1/4 tspn salt
100gm butter

Method :
(1) dissolve yeast into milk and let to rest for 10 mins.
(2) combine flour, sugar and salt in a big mixing bowl.
(3) stir yeast mixture, eggs and cheese into dry ingredients, mix to form a soft dough.
(4) next, add in butter and continue kneading untill well combined.
(5) cover the dough and let it rest for an hour or untill double in size.
(6) punch dough to release air and knead to smooth.
(7) roll the dough out flat and spread on the citrus butter cream mixture.



(8) then roll it up like a swiss roll and divide into 12 pieces.
(9) slightly pull and twist every dough, then place them to baking tray.
(10) again, let them rest for 45mis.

Ingredients for citrus butter cream mixture :
1/2 cup icing sugar
60gm butter, softened
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp lime rinds
(combine all and beat untill fluffy)

Ingredients for citrus frosting :
3/4 cup icing sugar
1-1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tspn lime rinds
(combine and mix well)

Finally, bake at preheated oven 180'C for 25-30 mins. And then leave to cool completely before drizzle citrus frosting over them.

I usually adored this kind of bread. Love the sweet topping with the citrus flavour especially. I'm sure I can't stop at one....neither are my kids!
(bread, rolls, buns, citrus,)

Old Fashion Strawberry Butter Icing Cake

I don't quite remember whether if there's whipping cream available in the 70's over here! I don't even remember if my parents ever bought a fresh cream cake for my birthday. All I can remember, whatever the birthday cake I have eaten during that time was a butter cake with loads of butter icing cream. Unlike this days, we have so many to choose from.

I'm sure this cake will brings back loads of sweet memories.
(Recipes adapted from here)

Ingredients for Butter Cake :
227gm butter, softened
1-1/4 cup sugar
6 eggs white (or 220gm)
3 cups all purpose flour
4 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn salt
1-1/4 cup milk
2 tspn homemade vanilla extract

Method :
(1) combine flour, baking powder & salt in a big bowl.
(2) cream butter and sugar untill light & fluffy.
(3) whisk in egg white one by one untill everything well mixed.
(4) now, stir in vanilla and 1/3 of milk and mix in low speed, alternately add in flour mixture and milk, in 3 additions.
(5) divide batter evenly into 2 x 8" pan, well coated with butter & flour.
(6) finally, bake at preheated oven at 180'C for about 35-45mins or untill the cake tester comes out clean.
(7) keep refrigerated for 30 mins after cooled, before dividing into layers.

Thanks to another special sponsor, finally I have the cake divider to do the job for me. The divider works really well especially NO more falling crumbs! *wink* And of course, hassle free. Just look at the perfect smooth layers. Don't you love to own one too! It only cost RM12.00 per unit. Errrr....excuse me, this is NOT a sponsored post ya! :o)

Ingredients for Old Fashion Butter Frosting :
250gm butter, softened
6 cups icing sugar, shifted
150ml whipping cream
2 tspn strawberry emulco
1 tbsp lemon juice
*red food colouring

Filling : Strawberry Curd

Method :
(1) beat butter and sugar till combined.
(2) whisk in whipping cream untill smooth & creamy.
(3) now, add in strawberry emulco & lemon juice and mix well.
(4) remove about 2 cups of cream into another bowl, then add in a two drops of red food colouring and mix to combine. And place it into a piping bag.

TO ASSEMBLE :
(1) place one layer of sponge onto a display tray, spread on the cream evenly and then follow by spreading on a thin layer of strawberry curd.
(2) repeat the abovemention method untill finished.
(3) and then spread the cream evenly all over the cake.
(4) keep the cake refrigerated for 30 mins before continue on the final decorations with the red piping cream.

I still think the frosting is far too sweet for me, but overall I enjoy the cake very much. Probably, I will replace the frosting by using the swiss meringue cream next round. Can't wait to try that soon! Enjoy.
(cake, butter icing cream, strawberry cake, strawberry curd,)

Homemade Vanilla Extract

It's a dream come true to make my own vanilla extract at home. Never in my life thought of making it myself. Thanks to Lyndsey @ The Tiny Skillet and also Ann @ Pigpig's Corner for sending me a bunch of vanilla beans more than a month back. I am totally thrilled when receiving the gifts from both of them. Thanks again, ladies! ((hugss))

Now, here's the vanilla beans which I have already scrape out the seeds. Gosh, it smells so beautiful!


Ingredients :
280ml vodka/brandy
4 large vanilla beans
an empty bottle

Method :
(1) pour vodka into the empty bottle.
(2) add in the vanilla pots and the content.
(3) then cover the bottle with a air tight lid and leave aside in a dark room for 4 weeks. Making sure to shake the bottle twice in every week.
(it is highly recommended to replace the vanilla beans once they have lost scent)

Here's the vanilla extract after 2 weeks time. Still not ready yet! And the top picture is the one after 4 weeks time which is darker in colour. It is best to shake the vanilla extract each time before each use.

I finally used up the leftover vanilla beans in making vanilla sugar for future use. How I wish I can grow my own vanilla tree tooo.... :o)