Foodie
Friday, July 22, 2005
Mee Goreng Mamak
Ingredients:
400g fresh yellow noodles
2 pieces of squid which has been cooked with chilly
4 eggs
2 pieces taukua(firm tofu)
100g mustard leaves (sawi), cut into 3cm lengths
100g bean sprouts
1 green chilli, seeded and thinly sliced
1 potato, boiled and cut into ½ cm-thick slices
1 tomato, cut into wedges
1/2 a small onion - sliced
1/2 small lime
Seasoning:
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
4 tbsp ground chilli
4 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp water
Garnishing:
Chopped spring onions
Shallot crisps
Method:
Heat 1/4 cup oil and fry the sliced taukau and leave aside
Heat remaining oil and fry sliced onion, Add in noodles and stir. Add in seasoning.
Break in the eggs and stir until egg is cooked.
Add mustard leaves and bean sprouts and fry for one minute. Add squid, potatoes, tomato and green chillies.
Squeeze half a small lime into the mee and continue to fry until dry.
Dish out and serve garnished with chopped spring onions and shallot crisps.
Note:
no soya sauce or salt is added because these fresh yellow noodles can be salty enough.
Serves
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Sam Wong Than
Ingredients:
3 large eggs
2 hard boiled salted eggs
2 century eggs
300 ml water
Seasonings:
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tbsp of Hua Tiau(chinese cooking wine)
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tbsp of sesame oil
Garnishing:
Sprigs of cilantro
1 tbsp of garlic oil
Method:
Diced the salted eggs and century eggs and put it in a greased 5" x 7" aluminium foil container.
Beat the eggs and add in seasonings, add in the water and strain into the foil container.
Bring steamer to a boil and turn fire low to simmer. Steamer the eggs until cooked.(there should be no liquid egg when a knife is pierced in the middle).
Seerve hot with garnishings.
Serves
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Miso Soup
Ingredients:
5 cups of water
3-4 TBS of Miso (soy bean paste)(Miso comes in a variety of flavors, textures & colors. Generally white types are sweet, red types are salty - usually found in the refrigerated section.)
1 package or 3 TBS - dried shaved bonito flakes
3"x3" piece of kombu
3 scallions - chopped
1/2 pkg. of tofu - cut into 1 inch squares
2 - 3 strands of 4 inches wakamie
Method:
Bring water to a boil. Add kombu and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Add in bonito flakes and bring back to a boil, turn off fire and allow bonito flakes to settle to the bottom.
Pour through a strainer and bring soup back to simmer.
Use a strainer for the miso, dilute into soup, add in wakamie and diced tofu and let soup come back to a boil.
Serve hot with chopped scallions(spring onions)
Supplementary Ingredients that can be used in this miso soup recipe:
1 lb. of pork meat or chicken
6-8 dried shitake mushrooms
1-2 bundles of somen
Serves
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Thursday, July 21, 2005
Apple Bundt Cake
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups chopped apples(Granny smith)
1 cup chopped walnuts
Method:
Combine oil with sugar, add eggs, one at a time.
Sift dry ingredients together and add to mixture.
Add vanilla.
Fold in apples and nuts.
Bake in greased Bundt Ovenware at 325 f(preheated) for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Allow to cool.
Can be frosted if desired.
NOTE
Place Bundt Ovenware on baking sheet before putting to bake.
Serves
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Polo Buns
Ingredients:
Makes 15
(A) Sponge:
350g High protein flour
2g instant yeast
210ml water
(B) Main dough:
150g High protein flour
10g instant yeasts
100g castor sugar
8g salt
8g bread improver
20g milk powder
35g water
50g butter
25g shortening
For Glazing
1 small egg, light beaten
(C) Polo skin:
50g butter
50g margarine
100g icing sugar
a pinch of salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
8g milk powder
200g all-purpose flour, sifted
Method:
To prepare sponge:
Combine all ingredients in (A) in a mixing bowl and knead with a dough hook at low speed. Stop kneading when all ingredients are just combined to form a dough .
In an oiled mixing bowl, prove dough for 4-5 hours until surface of sponge dough looks perforated and forms spider- web-like structure when pulled away from edge of mixing bowl.
To prepare Polo skin:
Sift icing sugar and milk powder into a mixing bowl. Add butter, margarine and salt.
Beat mixture until light and fluffy. Add beaten egg gradually, a little at a time.
Fold in sift flour until a smooth polo skin dough is obtained.
Refrigerate skin dough in fridge if it is sticky and too soft to work with.
To prepare main dough:
Combine sponge dough prepared earlier and all ingredients (B), except water, butter and shortening, in a mixing bowl.
Use dough hook of your stand mixer to knead the mixture at low speed (Speed 1 of Kitchenaid).
When all ingredients are just blended, add water gradually and continue to knead until the surface of dough looks smooth.
Add butter and shortening a little at a time. Use medium-low (Speed 2) speed to continue kneading dough for about 10 minutes. Increase to medium-high speed (Speed 4) and knead for further 10 minutes. The dough should be elastic, smooth, non-sticky and pull away from the sides of the bowl. To test, stretch a pinch of dough. This dough should form a thin membrane before it breaks.
Divide dough into 65g portions. Roll each into a ball and rest for 10 minutes.
While dough is resting, divide polo skin dough into 30g portions. Round up. Dust each polo skin with flour and press to form a round thin sheet. Spray water on surface of bread dough. Lightly press polo skin dough on each bread dough so that it covers 90% of the bun's surface.
Prove bread for 1 hour or until double in size (it may take longer depends on weather). If the polo skin does not break as a result of the proving, use a knife to lightly draw pineapple skin pattern on the skin.
Brush polo skin with beaten egg.
Bake in preheated oven at 200 degC for 15-20 minutes.
NOTES:
Characteristics of bread made using Sponge & Dough Method compared to Straight Dough Method:
Long proving time stabilises the dough, which in turn enables sufficient hydration of the dough. As a result, ability of dough to hold more moisture is enhanced.
Long proving time enables various chemical activities by the yeasts.
Bread fermented using this method has better flavour.
Bread baked using this method is moist and soft.
The stretching gluten network of sponge dough results in larger volume bread. Not suitable if you prefer chewy instead of soft bread.
In general for all breads making, the amount of liquid (eggs and water in this recipe) is variable. It depends on types of flour used, type of liquid used, temperature and humidity of atmosphere at the time of making the bread. You may need to adjust the water content of a particular recipe accordingly.
This formula is a commercial bread formula. Buns made using this formula stay soft for at least 2 days. However, it is not advisable to knead this dough by hand. It is too soft and sticky to work with. Remember I used to suggest 2-1/2 hours fermentation time in my previous sponge & dough recipes? In this recipe, I increased the fermentation time to 4-5 hours (room temperature), to give better flavour and volume to the breads.
There is another approach. If you do not want to wait 4-5 hours for the sponge to ferment, make the sponge before you go to bed a night before you actually want to make the buns. Refrigerate the sponge in refrigerator for about 12 hours. Thaw the sponge slightly before you use it.
For step by step instructions in pictures click here http://jodelibakery.netfirms.com/, then Breads, Polo Buns
Serves
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Sunday, July 17, 2005
Bagels
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3 cups bread flour
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
Toppings:
Sesame seeds, poppy sees, cracked wheat, wheat flakes or dehydrated onions.
Method:
Put all the above ingredients in the bread machine and choose program that will knead and proof.
When proofing is done, place on a lightly floured surface. Divide into pieces (8). Roll each in a smooth ball, making a hole in the center of each with your thumb. Gently pull to make a one inch hole.
Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until double in size.
In a 3-quart saucepan, bring to a boil 2 quarts waters and 2 tbsps sugar. Place a few bagels at a time in boiling water. Simmer 3 minutes turning once. Remove with slotted spoon and put back on greased baking sheet.
Brush with egg and sprinkle with choice of toppings.
Bake at 400 f/205 c for 20 - 25 minutes or until done, cool on a wire rack.
Serves
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Wheat Bran Gluten Bread
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups water
7 tsp oil
2 1/2 tbsp molasses
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp dry milk
1 cup raw wheat bran
2 1/2 tbsp wheat gluten
3 cups bread flour
2 tsp instant yeast
Glaze:
1 egg yolk + 1 tsp water
Method:
Put the ingredients in the bread machine following the order from the top.
Choose the program that will knead and proof dough.
Take out dough when ready and scale into 100 gm balls
Shape balls and flatten to about 4 inches (these will be for burgers) , roll them flat into oval shape and rolled it tightly like a swiss roll, then shape dough to the size of dog about 5 - 6 inches.
Let them proof covered with damp cloth until double.
Make slashes for the hot dog buns. For the burger buns, glaze the top and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake in preheated oven at 400 F for 12 - 15 minutes (convection bake will be faster)
Serves
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Saturday, July 16, 2005
Kuih Lapis
Ingredients:
150g rice flour
30g mung bean flour (lek tau tung hoon)
560 ml coconut milk(big can Mae Ploy brand)
For the syrup
180g castor sugar
150ml water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pandan paste
A few drops red colouring
Method:
Combine sugar, water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Strain and set aside to cool.
Put rice flour and green bean flour into a large mixing bowl. Pour in coconut milk gradually and leave aside to soak for 40–45 minutes.
Add salt to the rice flour and mix well.
Stir in syrup.
Strain the batter to ensure it is free from lumps.
Measure 16 fl ozs batter and add in the pink coloring . Measure another 16 fl ozs batter and add in the pandan paste which will be green. The remaining batter will be red.
Place a greased 8 inch tray in the steamer and heat up for 4–5 minutes.
Pour half cup(4 fl ozs) of the green batter on the heated tray. Cover and steam over medium heat for 5–6 minutes or until set.
Pour half cup of the pink batter over the green layer and steam covered for 5 minutes.
Repeat the procedure, alternating green and pink batter until all the batter is used up. Lastly, the final layer which is red.
After the final layer is set, steam the kuih for a further 12–15 minutes. Halfway through open the lid to release the steam, then cover again until the end of the steaming process.
Cool the kuih thoroughly before cutting into small diamond-shaped pieces.
Serves
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Beef Burgers
Ingredients:
4 pounds ground beef, or a mixture of your favorite cuts
2 tablespoons hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
4 slices of cheese
1 tomato- sliced
4 strips of bacon - microwave until crispy
1 carrot - shredded
Marinated Red Onions, recipe follows
Mustard and tomata ketchup
Method:
Preheat a grill.
Mix the ground meat with the hot sauce.
Form 8 (8-ounce) burgers.
Season the burgers on the outside with salt and pepper.
Transfer them to the grill and sear the burgers with the grill top down. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, and then rotate to make grill marks, grilling for about another 2 minutes, each time closing the grill top.
Flip the burgers and grill for about 2 minutes. Rotate for the grill marks and grill an additional 2 minutes. Remove the burgers from the grill onto a plate and rest, away from the heat, for about 5 minutes. This will produce an even, pink burger. Of course if you like it cooked more allow about 3 to 4 more minutes on the grill for each temperature beyond medium-rare that you like.
Top with Marinated Red Onions.
3 medium red onions
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup red wine
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cut onions into thick rings, about 3/4-inch thick. Keeping the rings intact, place them in a bowl and cover with the vinegar, red wine, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Gently toss to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight, if needed.
Preheat the grill. Place the rings on the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Cool.
When cool enough to handle pull the rings apart and use as needed.
Serves
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Char Siew
Ingredients:
500g pork - cut into 2 inches strips and score the strips(belly pork or marbled)
Seasonings:
2½ tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 -1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp wine - Mui Kai Lo
1/2 tsp 5 spice powder
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
Glaze:
1 tbsp dark soya sauce
1 tbsp honey or maltose
1 tbsp oil
Method:
Marinade pork with seasonings for 2 hours.(optional). Pork can be baked as soon as it is marinated.
Line a baking tray or stainless steel dish with aluminium foil. Transfer marinated pork on to it and cover with foil.
Bake char siew at 220 C/425 F for about 10 minutes.
Remove from oven. Open the top foil and bake again until gravy thickens and coat the pork.
Alternatively, cook pork together with the marinade in a wok until the gravy thickens. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
Preheat grill and grill the pork until it is charred(not burnt), turning all the time for even grilling.
Dip into glaze and return pork to grill just for a short while, enough to give pork a shine.
Serves
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Friday, July 15, 2005
Sing Chow Mei
Ingredients:
300g mei fun, soaked and well drained
6 tbsp oil
3 eggs
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 large onion, shredded
75g chicken meat, shredded
75g prawns, shelled
75 g char siew shredded
1 carrot, shredded
200 g beansprouts, tailed
Seasoning
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp light soya sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp chilly sauce
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
Salt and sugar to taste
Dash of pepper
Garnishing
Chopped spring onion and coriander leaves
Sliced red chillies
Method:
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok and fry meehoon for 1–2 minutes until lightly golden.
Heat another 2 tbsp oil and fry garlic until fragrant. Add chicken, prawns, char siew , carrot and onions. Stir-fry briefly. Add mei fun and seasoning ingredients. Toss well to combine.
Push to the sides and add 2 tbsp oil in the centre of wok, add the eggs , push back the mei fun to the eggs and fry until eggs are done.
Add beansprouts to mix and continue to cook for an extra 2–3 minutes and squeeze in the lime juice.
Dish out and serve with garnishings.
Serves
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Monday, July 11, 2005
Jin Dui
Ingredients:
6 cups oil for deep-frying, or as needed
1 cup brown or white sugar
14 tablespoons (just under 1 cup) very hot water
2 1/2 cups glutinous rice flour
3 tsp baking powder
Filling:
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts with 1/4 cup sugar
Method:
In a wok , pre-heat the oil for deep-frying to 240 degrees F.
Dissolve the brown sugar in the hot water.
Place the glutinous rice flour in a large bowl.
Make a "well" in the middle of the bowl and add the dissolved sugar and water mixture.
Stir until you have a sticky, caramel-colored dough.(it will be white if using white sugar). Cover dough and allow to rest for 1/2 hour.
Pinch off a piece of dough roughly the size of an average golf ball or any size you desire.
Push your thumb into the dough to make an indentation. Place a small amount of filling (no more than 1 teaspoon) into the indentation , and shape the dough over the top to seal.
Repeat the process with the remainder of the balls.
Deep fry the balls, three at a time(you may fry as many as you the wok or saucepan can accomodate but do not crowd) in the hot oil(check oil with thermometer and if oil is 240f, add cold oil) . Once the balls start floating to the surface (about 2 minutes), use the back of a spatula or a large ladle to gently press the balls against the side of the wok . Continue applying pressure to expand approximately 3 times(desirable size) their normal size. and fry balls till golden brown. When the balls have reached maximum puffiness, bring up the heat to finish browning.
Repeat procedure for frying until all the balls are done, you would have to remove some hot oil to replace with cold oil so that the oil temperature is 240f before putting the balls to fry)
Drain the deep-fried balls on baking rack then transfer to paper towels.
Note:
these balls can be coated white sesame seeds before frying. Wet the filled balls and coat with white sesame seeds. Cover balls to prevent drying out otherwise the sesame seeds will fall off when frying)
Filling can be red bean paste or mung bean paste. If you like a savory filling, these balls will be called HUM SUI KOK
Serves
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Saturday, July 09, 2005
Wantan Soup
Wantan soup is a accompaniment for a dish of egg noodle which has plain sauce of black and light soya(in cantonese - kon loh). This plain sauce is most common among the hawkers in malaysia. The fillings for the wantan too can be any meat or just prawns alone.
Ingredients:
40–45 pieces wantan wrappers
1/2 lb of Choy Sum
1 liter of Chicken/Vegetable Stock
Filling (A):
100g shelled prawns, minced
200g shoulder pork, minced
50g water chestnuts, chopped finely
1 tbsp finely chopped carrot
1 tbsp chopped spring onion
Seasoning:
1 1 /2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
Pinch of pepper
1/2 tsp Dried toasted sole powder
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp corn flour
1 egg yolk
Method:
Mix the filling ingredients with the seasonings and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Bring a pot of water to a boil.
Place one teaspoon of the filling in the centre of each wantan wrapper.
Fold into small pouches.
Put in wantan in batches to cook. Remove when done.
Bring the stock to boil, add in choy sum and then the cooked wantans.
Add a dash of sesame oil and chopped spring onions/cilantro to soup before serving.
NOTES
The wantans can be deepfried but the way to fold is different for better presentation.
Serves
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Friday, July 08, 2005
Siew Mai
When we go for Dim Sum, Siew Mai tops the list in our orders. A good Siew Mai must have a very thin wantan skin and the meat should be juicy and crunchy, then it really touches the heart and that is how it should be in Dim Sum.
Ingredients:
20 pieces round wantan skin
Filling (A):
225g lean meat, minced
75g diced fatty pork
150g prawns, diced
1 black mushroom, soaked and chopped finely
2 water chestnuts, minced and with excess water squeezed out
Seasoning:
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp monosodium glutamate
A dash of pepper
1 egg white
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tbsp tapioca flour
Garnishing:
2 cooked salted egg yolk - chopped
Method:
Combine (A) in the stand mixer bowl.
Add in seasoning ingredients and combine well.
Using the paddle ,turn on medium speed and mix it is sticky.
Refrigerate mixture for 40 to 60 minutes.
Put two teaspoons of the filling in the centre of each wantan skin.
Gather the edge of the wrapper together so that only the top of the filling is seen.
Place dumplings on a greased steaming rack. Sprinkle the top of each dumpling with salted egg yolk.
Steam for 10 to 12 minutes.
Serves
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Bun with fried vietnamese egg rolls
Ingredients:
Bun and garnishes:
1 package of Guilin Rice Vermicelli(Boil in hot water, flush with cold water and drain)
Garnishes:
Bean sprouts(taugeh)
Cilantro(coriander)
Mint
Lettuce
Shredded carrots(optional)
Chopped roasted peanuts
Filling for egg rolls:-
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb prawns
1/4 lb crab meat
2 carrots
1 stalk spring onion
1 bundle of cellophane noodles
5 chinese dried black fungus
1 tsp salt,
1 tsp sugar,
½ tsp pepper
1 egg
1 package, spring roll wrappers (24 wrappers)
Method:
Peel and shred carrot into thin strips.
Chop onion into little pieces.
Soak black fungus and slice into thin strips.
Cut noodles into ‘shorter’ pieces.
Mix everything together with one egg white. (save the yolk for later)
Put filling in the middle of wrapper and fold in the 2 sides, then roll together (like making egg rolls) put a little egg yolk at the end to hold the spring roll together.
Frying method:
For every 2 cups of oil add the juice of ½ a lime or lemon, or 2 tsp vinegar.
Add sprDipping Sauce for Spring Rolls:-1/2 cup sugar-1/2 cup fish sauce-1 1/4 cup water or coconut juice-3 cloves garlic-thai chilies (as spicy as you want)-1 lime*Mince garlic and chilies. Mix everything together and squeeze in lime juice. All flavors (salty, sweet, sour, and spicy) should be ‘equal’. Can replace fish sauce with soy sauce if you don't like the smell of fish sauce. ing rolls into oil, and fry until golden.
Frying time should take about 15 mins.
If it is golden before that time, the oil it too hot which means, the filling might not be cooked, and spring roll will be soft when cooled.
Dipping Sauce for Spring Rolls:-
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fish sauce
1 1/4 cup water
3 cloves garlic
thai chilies (as spicy as you want)
1 lime
Mince garlic and chilies.
Mix everything together and squeeze in lime juice.
All flavors (salty, sweet, sour, and spicy) should be ‘equal’.
To assemble Bun for serving:
Put rice vermicelli on a plate or bowl.
Top with the garnishes
Cut egg rolls in half
Pour enough of dipping sauce
ENJOY
Serves
Friday, July 01, 2005
Fritters
Ingredients:
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1/4 cup corn flour
1 tbsp rice flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
180ml water or just enough
1½ tbsp oil
3 bananas, halved
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into slices
1/2 small taro(yam), cut into slices
Enough oil for deep-frying
Method:
Combine the various flours, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
Pour in water and combine into a batter. Add in oil to mix. Rest batter for 1/2 hour.
Coat banana halves, sweet potato and taro slices in batter and deep-fry in hot oil until crispy and golden brown.
Remove and drain on baking rack and then with paper towel.
Serves
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Fresh Homemade Hokkien Mee
It differs from the 'sang mein' or 'wantan mein' which is uncooked and hokkien mee is thicker, size of spaghetti.
For the Black Hokkien Fried Mee, the mee is made into 3 times the thickness.
Ingredients:
350g high protein flour, sifted
2 tsp salt
2 tsp potassium carbonate & sodium bi-carbonate solution(kan sui)
100ml to 150 ml water
Method:
Sift flour into food processor(use the plastic blade) and add potassium carbonate & sodium bi-carbonate solution(kan sui) and salt. Add in 100 ml water and pulse a few times, continue adding the rest of water little by little and pulse, as soon as dough is in pea size crumble, stop adding the water.
Remove from food processor and press crumble into a dough , then leave to rest in a sealed ziploc bag for at least 30 mins.
Knead dough on a lightly floured surface dusted with plain flour.
Roll out and flatten dough into rectangular shape, then cut into four equal pieces. Dust each piece with tapioca flour lightly to prevent sticking. Cover the pieces with a clean dry tea towel.
Prepare your noodle machine by adjusting the knob with the rollers to the widest setting.
Insert dough and turn the rollers slowly. Keep rolling the dough through the noodle machine until you get the required thickness.(stop at 3)
Next, set the machine for shredding then shredd the dough.
Repeat this procedure with the rest of the dough.
Toss the noodles lightly in tapioca flour to prevent them from sticking together.
Heat a big pot of water, when water boils, add 2 tsp of salt then a handful of noodles. Stir gently and when noodles float to the top. Scoop up with a spider strainer into a colander, rub cooking oil into the warm noodles. Place noodle into a baking tray to cool before packing.
Finish cooking the rest of the noodles.
The noodles are now ready for use.
Serves
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