Waterchestnut and Lotus Root Drink 马蹄莲藕水

The current El Nino heat wave in Malaysia is making many children sick.

2 of my 3 kids are down with on and off fever, with the highest temperature recorded at 39.5C. Many of their friends are down with fever too. Schools in the states of Perlis and Kedah are closed to keep children indoors, as public schools do not have air conditioning.

In my school, ice water is available for the students and all outdoor activities are postponed until further notice. This heat is not our usual hot days.

Pandan Water Chestnut Jelly - Jelly #1

I saw this green thing dessert at a dimsum shop. I was curious and so I ordered one serving. To my surprise it was waterchestnut ‘cake’ that wasn’t made of waterchestnut flour and instead was made with konnyaku jelly. It also has some canned tropical fruit chunks in it and so it didn’t taste much of waterchestnut.

Kuih Tako - Kuih Week # 3

Recipe recreated in September 2011

One of my favourites. If you have an big bush of pandan and don't know how to use it up, make this. This kuih needs a lot of pandan leaves. I made this because I was given a lot of it by Mike's aunt. Well, besides that you can also cut up the pandan and use as cabinet deodorizers, it prevents pesky cockcroaches. Not a must to make edible things with pandan.

Beef Soup with Waterchestnuts and Wintermelon - Soup Week #6

I had some waterchestnuts on hand and I remember this soup with beef in my soup book. Then when I checked the ingredients, sugarcane???? Where to get fresh ones? Then I came to think of it, should be the dry ones at herbal shops. Then when I went there,I found that it comes prepacked, and there's couchgrass root in it too. So I bought the pack home to later pick out whatever I needed. But there are no Chinese almonds in it, so I asked the herbalist to pack some for me separately.

Frankly there’s not much beef smell or taste. But the soup itself is sweet, but lacks a savoury meaty end. It does need more salt than most of the soups that I’ve done (my slow simmered soups usually need minimal soup to lend a salty end), maybe due to the high amount of non meat compounds, or the absence of seafood ingredients. Anyway, this is good for you.

Try this if you would like to clear heat, promote urination, detoxify and nourish the skin.

Beef Soup with Waterchestnuts and Wintermelon
Recipe Source: Soups for Expelling Dampness and Heat, by Chiu Sang
200gm beef
750gm winter melon
200gm water chestnuts (about 7 pcs)
150gm carrots
80gm dried sugarcane
10gm sweet Chinese almonds 南杏
10gm dried couchgrass 白茅根
2L water
Handful of coriander for sprinkling

1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, peel water chestnuts and cut carrots.
3. Scrub skin of wintermelon clean, remove seeds and cut into chunks.
4. Rinse dried sugarcane and couchgrass.
5. Cut beef into smaller pieces.
6. Put everything into the boiling water, bring back to a boil and let it simmer on low heat for 2 hours.
7. Sprinkle coriander into hot soup before serving.

What's up on Monday?

Fruit Week

Beetroot and Sweetcorn Soup - Soup Week #1

I was attracted to this by the colour. I’ve never seen a Chinese soup using beetroot. So, this is a must try for me. Few times at Jusco, I can’t get nice beetroots, and then I finally got a nice blemish free, still plump beetroot. But then I forgot the white radish/daikon, but I usually prefer to get the slim and curvy type at a Malay vendor in KK. That variety taste much better than the fat plump straight variety.

But on the day I wanted to boil this, it rained cats and dogs, and I couldn’t go out to get my white radish. So, I just skipped it. It might still taste good, fingers crossed : )

Beetroot and Sweetcorn soup
Recipe adapted from : The Sweet Spot

400gm beetroot
2 ears of corn
200gm waterchestnut (7 large ones)
200gm carrots (2 medium ones)
200gm pork loin or lean pork, or 300gm pork ribs
2.5L water (10 bowls)

1. Bring the water to boil.
2. Peel beetroot, cut into chunks.
3. Peel waterchestnuts, cut into halves.
4. Peel carrots, cut into slanting chunks
5. Shuck the corn and cut into chunks
6. Cut pork into smaller pieces.
7. When water has come to a boil, put in everything and let it simmer for 2 hours.
8. Season with salt.

Verdict:
Yummy. Everybody loved this soup especially my Mother in Law.

Thanks Swee San for this cute soup... Oh yes, I do find this cute.

Pork Caul Rolls

This is my entry for the Christmas Giveaway hosted by Swee San of The Sweet Spot

Christmas has been celebrated in my home dating as far back to my great great grandpa's days. They were converts even while their feet were still in China.

In the yonder years, my grandpa would have an open house on this day. Inviting non believing friends and family over for a meal. They'd cook and cook non stop for a day. The whole house was filled with people.

And the tableware and utensils in the house is enough to open up a small scale restaurant.

According to my aunts, Christmas was celebrated on a much larger scale than Chinese New Year. Very lively and a very much anticipated event by relatives each year. I've never been to one, as he passed away not long after my parents got married. Even my eldest brother has never seen grandpa.

Ever since my grandpa went back to heaven,  it was no longer done on such a scale, but more on a family basis only. We'd go to church in the morning, then it will be followed by a lunch at a local restaurant. We are Chinese and we eat like Chinese do, with fish, prawns, chicken and pork, as hams, cakes and pies are of Western origin, and the real meaning of Christmas has nothing to do with snow, santa or reindeers. The meal was just a get together for the family to celebrate God's goodness to the whole family.

When Swee San organized her giveaway, I was struck for a while. I don't have a favourite Christmas dish, nor a favourite bake. As Christmas has never been about turkey, cookies or pies at home. Not even now.  Until I thought of Grandpa's Christmas Banquets. There must have been some special dishes.

So, I called up my aunts, both Big and Small. Sadly, the memory of the banquets have faded away. They could only tell me, the food is like Chinese wedding banquets, with fish, chicken, prawns and stuff. Big Aunt recalled her favourite dish from the banquet, the pork caul rolls and Small Aunt recalled cabbage soup. Big Aunt only has faint memory of the rolls, saying it was made with pork caul (猪网油） and crispy and nice. Tasted very "Sin 鲜" with some waterchestnuts.She told me, during those times, eating deep fried foods is a treat and on usual days, there are rarely deep fried foods at home. She could recall no further, so I had to come up with a replica on my own.

How? How?

I had no idea so, I tried to make it with just a simple description of pork caul, might have prawns, might have waterchestnuts, deep fried and crunchy. That's all the hint I got!!! And I've never eaten one! That's the problem.

I called up mom asking her to help me get her butcher to reserve some pork caul for me.
And I went back home to my family's house, where the banquets were held and dug out those plates that were used to serve guests on Christmas that time. Let's try to be as close to that time as possible, memorable food with memorable plates. No joke, the serving plates you see on this post today were my grandpa's.

What's pork caul? Here's a pic. It's 猪网油 in Chinese. It's the fat lining of the pic's stomach. Fat!!! Cholesterol!!!! But then, it's festive food, so, chuck that aside for a day. To prepare the pork caul, wash and squeeze them dry. Discard thick tough bits and use only the pretty netting. Spread it out on your cutting board and cut into sizes enough to wrap up the filling. I cut them about 6X10 inch each. About that size.

Then I made up the filling

1 cup minced pork

2/3 tsp salt

dash of pepper

3 water chestnuts, chopped

3 Tbsp chopped carrots

3 Tbsp sliced green onions

3 Tbsp chopped Chinese mushrooms

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 egg

Mix and marinate everything together

and then, the prawns

1 cup coarsely chopped prawns

small pinch of baking soda

1/3 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

Marinate the prawns separately for half an hour and combine with pork mixture.

Put in 2 heaped Tbsp of filling onto each piece of cut pork cault and wrap it up like rolls.

Then heat up a wok of oil and deep fry until golden.

Wait................ something seems not right. Big Aunt says it's crispy. How come the whole thing looks like sausage? Not crispy at all!!! It's not like what Big Aunt says it is.

 

Something's not right!!!!! Then my sister in law brought some to her mom to try. Her mom is another kitchen guru, and she told me, I should've rolled up in lesser pork caul, then dredge in egg and lastly dust with tapioca flour before deep frying!!!!

URGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!

What can I do? Do another batch? I don't think so, it's so cholesterol laden that once is enough for this month. It may not be an exact replica of Grandpa's Christmas specialty, but I made it with grandpa in heart.

May not be pretty, may not be as tasty, but sigh....................... broke my heart. Wasted. Not only the ingredients for this dish, but whatever great dishes that our forefathers have done, it's no longer remembered and done the way it should've been. Lost and gone with time. I really wished I could just recreate whatever that was described by Big Aunt.

Well, whatever the outcome, this is a so called failed replica of my Big Aunt's favourite Christmas dish, pork caul rolls. I'm still submitting this to Swee San.

Here, I share with you one of my favourite Christmas Carols,

O Holy Night

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining.

Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!

O night divine, the night when Christ was born;

O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.

O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,

Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.

The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;

In all our trials born to be our friends.

He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,

Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,

His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.

And in his name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

With all our hearts we praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,

His power and glory ever more proclaim!

His power and glory ever more proclaim!

Happy Holidays and I won't be blogging for more than a week!!!
Need a break.
See you in 2011 but I'll still be checking for comments

Tub Tim Grob, Rubies in Coconut Milk Dessert

 

This is one dessert that you can use to wow your guest. The look of the water chestnuts look spectacular and when served in fancy glasses, they really do look nice. A red dessert looks good if you’re wearing black. Accessorizing!!! Hahaha. Red rubies they may be, but not wearable.

This is not my maiden attempt with the famous Thai dessert. I first tried making this a decade ago when I was staying with my chummies. They loved it, but I wasn’t all that successful cos the starch wasn’t sticking well to the water chestnuts. Then lately I read from the net that it’s spraying that makes the 2nd layer of starch adhere well and that’s how you make the starch really thick.I had some water chestnuts in the fridge, originally intended for a soup, but heck, what was I waiting for? Waiting for the day I could get jackfruit!!! Finally Saturday came, and I could get some from the local farmer’s market. This dessert will taste weird to me without jackfruit, cos it’s this sweet yellow flesh fruit that gives the dessert the super aroma.

Actually, in Ipoh, one can easily get this from the main wet market. It’s called “pomegranate seeds, 石榴子” instead. And it doesn’t come cheap. More than 15 years ago, I knew it was RM3/pack, about 1 cup’s amount with water!!! So, why not make this yourself. The instructions I give may seem long, but once you get the hang of it, it’s really easy peasy.

If you are serving this at a party, you can make this in advance, so, no rushing here and there on the day itself. You can make the coconut smoothie and freeze, and the red rubies can be made 1-2 days in advance (those sold can be kept for 2-3 days in the fridge)

Tub Tim Grob
Recipe source : Wendyywy
Serves 6-8

(A)
6 water chestnuts
½ tsp red food colouring (I prefer artificial cochineal here, which is slightly pinkish purplish, rather than red) or some beet root juice
1 tsp water (no need if beet root juice)
1 cup or more tapioca starch (Cornstarch will not be suitable)
Few pieces of jackfruit flesh, thinly sliced

(B)
125gm sugar
125gm water
1 pandan leaf, shredded and knotted

(C )
200ml thick coconut milk
750gm ice cubes

Method
1. To make syrup, bring B to a boil on medium heat, let it simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off the fire and let it cool down.
2. While waiting for the syrup to cool down, peel and cut the water chestnuts into 5mm cubes.
3. Mix food colouring with water and mix food colouring to the cut water chestnuts.

4. Put tapioca starch into a large bowl/basin. Pour all the dyed water chestnuts onto the starch.
5. Toss the basin/bowl so that the chestnuts will be evenly coated with the starch. Do not use a spoon to do this, but toss the whole basin.
6. Prepare a colander (not sieve) in another basin/plate. Pour all the water chestnuts and starch into colander and sift to separate extra starch from the coated water chestnuts. Remember to use the basin to collect extra starch.

7. Pour water chestnuts into a plate. Spread it out and lightly spray with water to moisten the water chestnuts. Toss and spray again. Repeat until you see the surface looks moistened but not wet.

8. Pour water chestnuts back into collected starch and toss and sift again. If you want a thicker layer of starch, repeat the spraying and tossing in flour again.

9. Let starch coated water chestnuts sit for half an hour. (So that the outer layer of starch may absorb moisture from the water chestnuts, it will stick better**)

10. Meanwhile, prepare coconut smoothie. Pour half the ice, half the syrup and half the coconut milk into a blender, and whizz til fine. Pour coconut smoothie into a freezable container. Repeat whizzing with balance of ice, syrup and coconut milk. Put coconut smoothie into freezer while you do the rest.

11. Bring a pot of water to boil. Prepare a big bowl of ice water.

12. Pour in all the coated water chestnuts, stir gently immediately for a while so that the chestnuts will not clump together and let it boil on high heat for 1 minute.

13. Remove water chestnuts from boiling water by using a slotted skimmer and put into ice water immediately.

14. Let it sit in the ice water for 10 minutes or longer.*** Stirring gently once a while to break up the "rubies"
15. Meanwhile, slice the jack fruit.
16. To serve, put some coconut smoothie into serving bowl, top with sliced jackfruit and "rubies". Serve immediately.

** I made this twice in a day. The first trial, by the time I wanted to boil the chestnuts, the gas ran out. So I called for gas and it arrived half an hour later. My 2nd batch, coated with starch 3 times were boiled immediately after the 3rd sifting. Comparatively, the 1st batch had a nicer starch coating, although it was only floured twice. Then I came to think of it, yeah, letting it sit for a while will make the moisture seep out and make the tapioca starch stick better to the water chestnut.

*** I also found that by letting it sit longer in ice water, the starch expands to wrap the chestnut better. No wonder those sold in Ipoh looked so thick with starch. They were sold in water filled packs, like cendol.

 

Ma Tai Sar with Tong Yuen (water chestnut dessert with dumplings) 汤圆荸荠洒

I don't know why it's called Ma Tai Sar, cos 'sar' means sand... but the water chestnuts are not chopped until they're fine like sand..

Normally I'll make it without the tong yuen, but after trying it at a wedding luncheon in Taiping, I found it to be quite nice.

Ma Tai Sar with Tong Yuen (water chestnut dessert with dumplings)

Ingredients:

8 cups water

3 pandan leaves (shredded and knotted)

1 cup water chestnuts (about 8-10, peeled and chopped finely)

250 gm rock sugar(or 1 cup sugar)

3/4 cup corn starch (easier to buy than water chestnut starch)
1 cup water

1 egg (beaten)

1 package of frozen tong yuen (black sesame fillings or whichever u may prefer)

Method:
1. Boil 8 cups water with the pandan for 10 minutes or until u can smell the fragrance in the living room..
2. Take out the pandan leaves (if not, the water chestnuts will be hiding in the leaves).
3. Put in the water chestnuts and rock sugar.
4. Boil for another 10 minutes.
5. Mix 1 cup water with corn starch. Pour in and stir well.
6. Bring to a boil and drizzle in the egg while stirring continuously.
7. Turn off the fire and serve with cooked sesame dumplings (cooked according to packaging).

Nice for the Chinese Winter Festival (Goh Tung)..

**

You can roughly get 10 rice bowls of this dessert. I always put my tong sui into small containers per portion and put in the fridge. This way, it's more convenient when one wants to have some, without having to ladle it out.