This 'kuih' is typically 'hokkien' and it is time that i talk about my heritage as hokkien 'lang' after being branded as a 'macau sai' by my paternal grandmother cos me and my siblings do not speak our 'mother tongue' that well or rather not at all. We spoke our Mother's tongue, cantonese, but it should not be our Mother's tongue but my Grandma's - Ah Po, who is cantonese. There was once when i was asked by my Ah Ma to tell this hokkien guy who came to look for my Ah Kong - 'ie kee liao pee la lui lee eh au pit' - hokkien guy seemed to understand what i said, while i myself took a long time to figure out what i said. Can any of my 'hokkian lang' readers tell me what i said?.
This kuih is a speciality and will appear on the table of hokkien families during hokkien festivals. My one and only Ah Koh, made the best tee nyah kuih and i would like my Ah Ma and Ah Koh to be proud of me by making this kuih although mine is not as good.
Ingredients:
1 lb rice flour
2 tbsps tapioca flour
1/2 tsp borax/ pang sar (optional)
2 tbsps potassium carbonate & sodium bi-carbonate solution
2000 ml/2 liters water
1 ½ tbsps cooking oil
1 tsp salt
Method:
Combine rice flour, tapioca flour, borax, potassium carbonate & sodium bi-carbonate solution, salt together in a microwave-safe bowl. . Add in the water, a little at a time, to prevent lumps. Give it a good mix before adding cooking oil and stir well and make sure borax is dissolved.
Cook in the microwave until a very thick consistency, stirring after every intervals.
Pour in a greased 9 inches round steaming tray and spoon the 2 tablespoons of tap water over surface of kuih.
Steam kuih over rapidly boiling water for one hour. Replenish water if necessary. To prevent condensation, wrap steamer cover with a large piece of cloth(using a bamboo steamer is the best).
Test for doneness with a wooden skewer(lidi) pierced in the centre, It should come out clean.
Cool kuih for a couple of hours before slicing.
Serve with Hong Bak or Red Cooked Pork or Tau Yue Bak
Serves
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How can anyone eat Hainanese Chicken Rice without the Gingery Chilli Sauce?!! You are missing one of the essences of eating Chicken Rice. The most important part of a successful and delicious chicken rice meal, is not on the chicken or the rice, but the chili sauce. The chili sauce has a fresh taste of ginger, chili, garlic and calamansi juice which gives a flavorful “kick”to the meal. I am very particular about the ingredients used - ginger : it has to be young ginger, ginger which are like my age will not do. Chillies have to be fresh red and a few fresh red Chilly padi. Calamansi juice is a must but sometimes, like the hokkien saying goes - Boh hu hae pun ho - if fish is not available, shrimp will do, then lime juice will be ok. The proportion of ingredients do not have to be specific - if you like it more gingery, use more ginger and likewise.
Ingredients:
Fresh red chillies
Fresh red chilly padi
Young ginger
Garlic
Calamansi juice/lime juice
Salt and sugar to taste
Method:
Seed the fresh red chillies.
Remove the skin off the young ginger and garlic.
Put all the ingredients except the calamansi/lime juice, in the food processor and process until it becomes a paste.
Remove into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute.
Add in salt and sugar and let it cool, then add in calamansi/lime juice.
Pour into a sterilized jar/bottle and keep in the fridge.
Before serving, a little rendered chicken fat and sesame oil can be added.
Serves
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I have cooked nasi biryani many times and somehow, this chinese lady is not getting it right. My nasi biryani did not have the indian or malay umph and more often than not, the rice was not totally cooked through according the method provided in most recipes, and i have to resolve by using the microwave to finish the cooking. But, nowadays, cooking nasi biryani is no more a problem, thanks to Vivien Tan, one of my readers who have become a dear friend, send me a few packets of 'SHAN" brand for biryani . I followed the instructions on the back of the packet and my biryani rice have always been cooked through and the nasi was spicy, with all the umphs. I find the taste to be slightly too salty so i reduced the amount of salt recommended to 1 tablespoon, when i was cooking the rice. Thank you Vivien for sending me the Shan premixed, they are available now here in our indian stores.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs chicken pieces
1 1/3 lb basmati rice - soaked for 30 minutes and drained
1 tbsp tamarind pulp - soaked in 1 cup water for 30 minutes, Then press and sieve the juice.
2 - 3 medium onion - sliced(about 1/2 lb)
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 cup cooking oil
1 packet 'Shan' Malay Chicken Biryani
Rasins
Fried shallots
Toasted cashew nuts
Cilantro for garnishing
Method:
Marinate chicken pieces with ginger, garlic and 2 tbsp of Shan Malay Chicken Biryani mix for 1 hour.
Heat oil and brown the marinated chicken pieces. Remove and set aside.
Sweat the chopped onions, then add in browned chicken pieces, the rest of the Shan Malay Chicken Biryani mix, tamarind juice and 1 cup water. Continue to cook and stir until sauce is thickened. Set aside.
Boil 10 cups of water with 1 tbsp salt and add in the soaked rice. Boil until the rice is three-quarter tender. Drain the liquid.
Assembling the Biryani:
Spread the cooked chicken pieces and the drained rice in layers into the rice cooker.
Top with raisins, then cover and press the cook function and cook until rice is cooked through.
Slightly mix the rice and chicken pieces and garnish with cashew nuts and fried shallots before serving.
Serves
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