Chendol Agar Agar

I love Chendol and I hope you too. Chendol is a must when I make a trip down to Malacca. Their gula malacca is fragrant and tasty. I can take two bowls of chendol heavily drizzled with the Asian brown sugar anytime. Well, you may wonder how is gula malacca made. I suggest you do not find out. It is not so appetizing. Nevertheless enjoy... :P



In my attempt in 'jellified' chendol, I did not compromise the use of the freshest coconut milk and freshly boiled red beans aka 'azuki'. I used a juice extractor to get the coconut milk.

Recipe for 25 small cups of Chendol agar agar

• Half a packet of agar agar strips
• 1/4 cup of red beans (boiled till soften)
• Half cup of Chendol green jelly
• Gula Malacca
• Sugar
• 400 ml coconut milk
• Pandan leaves
• Green colouring
• 25 small cups

Steps

1. Soak agar agar strips in water for at least 30 mins
2. Divide agar agar strips into two pots (a) 800ml of water (b) 500ml of water.
3. Add in 2 pandan leaves each into the pots.
4. Boil the agar agar mixture : Pot (a) & (b).
5. Stir to ensure strips dissolve well.
6. Add in coconut milk in pot (b) and add in sugar to taste. Do not let it boil or else coconut will curdle.
7. Add in Gula malacca in pot (a) to taste.
8. Remove pots from heat.

Assembling

Layer 1:

• Line some red beans at the bottom of the small containers.
• Pour in mixture from pot (b) slowly to the level you want.

Layer 2:

• Remove some mixture from pot (b) and add green colouring.
• When layer 1 hardens, line some Chendol green jelly and pour in green coloured mixture to the level you want.

Layer 3

• When layer 2 hardens, pour in mixture from pot (a) to the level you want.
• You may add more if you like gula malacca.

Layer 4

• When layer 3 hardens, pour in mixture from pot (b) to top.
• Rest the agar agar till cool and refrigerate it.
• Serve cold.

Cantucci (Hazelnut Biscuits)

I came across this biscuit recipe on a magazine and gave it a try. I think I am still a butter cookie fan. The hazelnut taste great but I think I will replace orange zest with vanilla.

I am a loyal fan of vanilla beans... ahhh....

Recipe for 50 pieces

• 300g caster sugar
• 4 eggs and 3 egg yolks
• 500g sifted plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 200g roasted halzelnut
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
  

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degree celsius.
2. Line baking tray with baking paper
3. In a bowl, beat sugar, 3 eggs and 3 yolks on medium speed until the mixture turned thick and pale.
4. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Fold in the egg mixture with nuts and zest.
5. Form the dought into logs. This can be sticky...
6. Place them on the lined tray.
7. Beat the remaining egg and brush them over the logs.
8. Bake for 20 min or until golden brown.
9. Let it rest for 5 mins, then cut into 1 cm slices.
10. Lay the slices flat on wire racks and bake for 5 min.
11. Remove and carefully turn each biscuits over.
12. Bake for another 5 min or until dry.
13. Store in airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Glazed Char Siew

I am very sure that I am not a char siew fan. I prefer my wanton mee to be char siew free.

"Uncle, pure wanton please.." To me wanton mee's char siew is usually comparable to cardboard... :P However, I like char siew when it is glazed with a layer of burnt sweetness. I think it is hong kong style char siew. Hence I am here to make char siew that I hope I will like.

And yes, it is quite good. I brought to my MIL's place and they liked it!

Recipe good for 4-5 persons

• 600g pork shoulder meat (Wu Hua Rong)
• 5g Chopped Garlic
• 50g Hoisin Sauce
• 10g Light Soya Sauce
• 2g Salt
• 10g Mei Kua Lu (Rose wine)
• 2g Red colouring (no. 284) mixed with 50ml water

Basting Sauce

• 10g Dark Soya Sauce
• 10g Golden Syrup
• 10g Cooking oil

Method

1. Marinate the meat and leave it overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Heat the wok/pan, add 200ml and meat.
3. Cook the meat over medium fire.
4. Turn the meat occassionally.
5. When the sauce thickens, baste the meat with the basting sauce.
6. Remove the meat will the sauce caramalised on the meat.
7. Let the meat rest. Serve in slices.

This is very simple to make. Choose fatty meat for juicier results.

Steamed Soon Kueh

Soon Kueh is a teochew steamed dumpling commonly found in breakfast eateries. It is usually filled with turnips and carrots. However, I prefer to have more of my favourite ingredients in it.

Well, I actually wanted to to make Crystal skin Soon Kueh (with translucent skin) but I bought the wrong flour. Hence I am back making the usual white skin Soon Kueh. Nevertheless, it is still tasty and qq. Maybe the next time I will make the crystal Soon Kueh.

Recipe for 20 medium-size Soon Kueh
Filling

• 600g turnip - shredded
• 1 carrot - shredded
• 8 chinese mushrooms - soaked
• 60g dried shrimps - soaked
• 150g belly meat
• 8 shallots - chopped
• 8 garlic - chopped
• 8 tbsp of oil

Seasoning

• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp msg
• 2 tbsp light soya sauce
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp pepper

Dough

• 300g rice flour - sifted
• 150g tapioca flour - sifted
• 700ml water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp msg
• 4 tbsp cooking oil

*Banana leaves

Steps (Filling)

• Boil belly meat for 15 minutes. Shred the meat into strips.
• In a work, fry onions and garlic with 8 tbsp of oil till golden brown.
• Remove half of the onion and garlic.
• Add in mushrooms and dried shrimps. Fry till fragrant .
• Add in pork strips.
• Add in shredded turnip and carrots. Fry
• Add in seasoning.
• Remove.

Steps (Dough)

• Boil water with oil, salt and msg
• In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour.
• Add in boiling water mixture.
• Mix the dough quickly.
• Remove the dough and use hands to knead on a flat surface. (it's very hot- use your palms)
• Knead till the dough is smooth.
• Cover when not in use.

Wrapping

• Roll the dough to 2 mm thick.
• Cut the dough with a round cutter.
• Fill the skin with filling.
• Close the dumpling by pressing the edges.
• Steamed with banana leaves for 10 minutes.
• Serve with fried onions and garlic oil and sweet sauce.

Enjoy!

Cute Little Steamed Cupcakes

Colourful steamed cupcakes are one of the resident food items sold at Pasar Malam in Singapore. It is usually taken with orange sugar and grated coconut. I love these cute little steamed cupcakes as they are soft and spongy. As they are already sweet, you can eat it on its own too.

It was a satisfying experience to see these cupcakes rised and blossomed into little happy faces.

Recipe for 36 happy small cupcakes

• 150g of cold cooked rice
• 7g of 'wine' cake (purchased from TCM store)
• 250g of rice flour
• 350ml of water
• 150g of sugar
• 4 pandan leaves
• 1tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tbsp Eno
• Colourings

Steps

1. Crush wine cake and sprinkle on top of cold rice. Let it rest for 2 days.
2. Blend the rice mix in 175ml of water.
3. In a separate pot, boil 175ml of water, sugar and pandan leaves. Let it cool.
4. Mix sugar mixture with rice flour.
5. Add the dough to rice mix.
6. Let it rest for 2 hours.
7. Add baking powder and eno into the batter. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
8. Divide the batter into 4 bowls and mix with desired colourings.
9. Pour the batter into paper cups.
10. Steam for 12 minutes.

Best eaten warm!

Tau Suan

Whenever I think about Tau Suan, it brings me back to my primary school days which the canteen auntie sold it in little green plastic bowls coupled with a orange plastic spoon. I would not say it tasted marvellous but I think primary school's canteen food would always have a place in my childhood. I am sure you would agree too.


Tau Suan is a local dessert, best eaten warm and served with fried dough fritters. The best tau suan is sweetened with caramalised sugar and fragranced with pandan leaves. It is important to steam the beans first so it is would be soft and tender.



Recipe for 6 modest servings:

• 1 cup of green split beans
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/2 of orange sugar (This gives the extra ommph!)
• 8 pandan leaves
• 1.5 litres of water
• 1/2 cup potato starch, mix with 1 cup water
• 3 Fried dough sticks, cut
  

Steps

1. Soak the green split beans in water for 30 minutes.
2. Steam the green split beans with 4 pandan leaves for 20 minutes.
3. In a pot, put in sugar and turn on to a low fire.
4. Caramalised the sugar slowly. Do not let it burn.
5. When the sugar has melted, pour in water and stir.
6. Add in the rest of the pandan leaves and let the water boil.
7. Using a low fire, slowly add in potato starch mixture. Stir.
8. Stop adding starch mixture when you reached your preferred consistency.
9. Add in the steamed beans. Stir well.
10. Serve with cut fried doughsticks.

I like every spoonful of tau suan to be taken with fried doughstick. The doughsticks brings out the taste of tau suan so well. It's like a heaven-made marriage. Well, no wonder the foodcourt aunties are so stingy with them.