Chai Choy/Vegetarian Delight

This would be my vegetable dish when i ran out of greens. The only fresh ingredients are the Nappa Cabbage or ordinary cabbage and carrots, the rest are dried. There are many ingredients involved but even with a few ingredients less, this dish will be very flavorful especially if the sauce is right. This is a classic to the vegetarian and it can be a meal by itself for there are so many nutricious ingredients involved. Although this is a vegetable dish, dried oysters can be added for flavor and oysters are acceptable and considered vegetarian.

Ingredients:
4 tbsps cooking oil
2 pieces fermented beancurd(preferably the red type which is called 'nam yee'

1/2 cup dried oysters - soaked(optional)
8 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked and halved
1 lb Nappa cabbage, sliced
1 carrot, sliced

6 - 8 pieces Fried tofu (tofu pok) - halves

3 long pieces dried bean curd (foo chook) - soaked and break into small pieces

1/2 cup black fungus - Wan yee - soaked

1/2 cup lily bulbs - soaked and tied into knots

1 small bundle glass noodles - soaked

Seasonings:

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 cup water

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp soya sauce

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp sesame oil

Method:

In a wok, heat oil and stir-fry fermented beancurd until fragrant. Add oysters (if using),mushrooms, cabbage and carrot. Stir-fry until cooked through.

Add in the rest of the ingredients except the soaked glass noodles and the seasonings

Bring to the boil, add the seasonings, then reduce heat, cover with lid and simmer.

Add in the glass noodles and continue to simmer, you might have to add in more water/stock if the sauce has thickened too much. Do no be afraid to add more water/stock as the glass noodle will swell and soak up all the goodness.

Simmer until sauce has thickened.

Dish up and sprinkle with sesame oil.

Serve hot.

Serves

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Steamed Salted Fish With Pork

This dish is one of many homestyle recipes in the Cantonese repertoire. I remember my mom hand chopping the pork with a chinese cleaver to make this dish or any steamed pork. The hand chopping creates a more al-dente texture and it is worth the effort. However, this dish is still as delicious if made with ground pork. The salted fish of choise is the soft type as the hard type does not marry or blend well.

Ingredients:

8 ozs of ground/minced or hand chopped pork

2 tbsp of soya sauce

1 tsp of sugar

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp of tapioca flour

a pinch of msg(optional)

1 tbsp of sesame

1 piece "mui heong' salted fishoil

2 tbsp of julienned ginger

Method:

Mix pork with all the seasonings, then place the salted fish on top and spread the julienned ginger on top of prepared dish.

Steam until cooked in a steamer or put on top of the rice before rice cooker's function turns to 'keep warm'.

Enjoy with white rice.


Serves

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Lepat Ubi Kayu/Cassava Wrap

This is a very traditional malay kuih in Malaysia which is served for breakfast or afternoon tea. I cannot have enough of eating this tuber and love everything that is made from it too. My mother and many of her generation, who had gone through the Japanese Occupation will not eat tapioca, perhaps it brings back bad memories of that era where they had nothing eat and had to depend on this tuber. I was trying to find out more of this tuber but ended reading about the Japanese Occupation in Malaysia and i now i can understand why my mother's generation has no craze for it.

Ingredients:

The recipe is the same as the bottom layer of Talam Ubi Kayu

Banana leaves - washed, boiled and cut into 4 inch x 8 inch pieces.

Method:

Wrap the cassava batter with prepared banana leaves.

Steam for 10 minutes and enjoy

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