Asian Eats

Mini Shrimp Rolls

2007-02-17T00:52:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Simply Linnish
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes about 100 mini rolls
Preparation Time ~ 2 to 4 hours
Cooking Time ~ 15 minutes

Ingredients List

12 pieces of spring roll wrapper (8 x 8 inches)
1 egg white
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Fillings
100 g dried shrimps, soaked for 15 minutes
4 to 5 shallots
4 cloves garlic
3 tsp praprika
1/2 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
Sugar to taste

Step-by-Step

Prepare fillings by combining dried shrimps, shallots, garlic & praprika in the grinder.
Grind till fine.
Heat up some oil in a pan.
Stir-fry the shrimp mixture & season with soy sauce & sugar to taste.
Add in more praprika to fry if you prefer spicier.
Fry ingredients till dry & color turns brown.
Leave aside to cool.
In the meanwhile, cut each spring roll wrapper into 9 equal pieces.
When fillings have cooled down, wrap as per wrapping egg rolls & seal the edges with egg white.
Deep-fry the mini rolls until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
Let cool completely before storing in air-tight containers.

Food Thoughts

Although the process of making these mini rolls is tedious, it is worth the effort.

These Hae Bee Hiam rolls have always been my favorite since young. Now that I have learnt how to make them, there is always the possibility of making them whenever I feel like it.

If you are up to it, try variations. Have different fillings ~ fish floss, pork floss, chicken floss or even sugary peanuts, I would love to try them all!

Red Bean Rice Cake (Nian Gao)

2007-02-17T00:42:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Courtesy of my friend, Angela Wang
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 1 9 x 13-inch pan cake
Preparation Time ~ 10 minutes
Oven Temperature ~ 350F/180C
Baking Time ~ 30 to 50 minutes

Ingredients List

1 lb (500 g) glutinous rice flour
2 1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 can (15 oz) red bean paste

Step-by-Step

Combine all ingredients except red bean paste.
Beat with beater, mixing well.
Grease 9 x 13-inch pan.
Pour 3/4 of the batter in.
Put into the oven to bake for 8 minutes.
Remove pan from the oven and put spoonfuls of red bean paste all over the baked batter.
Cover the remaining 1/4 of the batter on top of the red bean paste and continue to bake till rice cake is done about 30 to 50 minutes.

Food Thoughts

I omitted red bean paste filling for a plain baked Nian Gao. Instead of following the original recipe which uses a retangular baking pan, I used a 9-inch round pan. The only difference is the baking time. Using a round pan requires a longer time in the oven as it is taller in height.

The result is simply awesome.

Just remember to monitor your oven temperature as each oven varies. You can also enjoy a nice, baked Nian Gao in the comfort of your very own kitchen!

Png Kueh

2007-01-08T17:08:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Family recipe by Mom
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 30 kuehs
Preparation Time ~ 45 minutes
SteamingTime ~ 15 minutes

Ingredients List

Dough
600 g rice flour
100 g tapioca flour
Boiling water
A few drops of red food coloring

Fillings
1 kg glutinous rice, washed & drained
Salt to taste
100 g dried prawns, pounded
100 g salted turnips (optional)
2 cans canned braised peanuts
1 handful of Chinese mushrooms, soaked & sliced
2 pieces firm tofu (taukwa), diced
A few stalks of Chinese celery, chopped
White pepper to taste

Step-by-Step

To prepare fillings, add salt & water into glutinous rice.
Taste for saltiness before cooking in rice cooker.
In the meanwhile, saute dried prawns in some heated oil, add in the remaining ingredients except Chinese celery, to fry till fragrant. Set aside.
When rice is cooked, transfer the cooked rice into the fried mixture to mix well.
Add in chopped celery to mix in.
May add in some more salt to taste if necessary.
Let mixture cool while working on the dough.
To make the dough, mix both flours together in a big mixing bowl.
Pour in boiling water & mix using a wooden spoon.
Add in red coloring & blend well.
Let it cool off a bit, not more than 10 minutes.
In the meantime, get ready a rice bowl of water & add in some oil.
Knead dough using the water-oil solution (adding in bit by bit) while the dough is still hot. Knead for about 10 to 15 minutes until dough has formed its elasticity.
Prepare steamer.
To wrap the kuehs, pinch out a small round of the dough, about the size of a shelled walnut & make dough into a bowl shape (size of bowl depends on the size of mould).
Put about 2 tablespoons of fillings into the "bowl" & wrap up the kuehs by pulling the dough together to cover up the fillings. Seal the edges.
Flour the kueh mould & press the wrapped kueh into the mould. Knock the moulded kueh out.
Place them onto a greased steaming plate & steam for 15 minutes on high heat.
When kuehs are cooked, let them cool down & grease some oil onto their surfaces to prevent them from sticking onto one another when stacking up.

Food Thoughts

Png Kueh is best served pan fried with drizzles of sweet dark soy sauce & chili sauce onto it. Note that kuehs are more suitable to be pan fried the next day as the dough will no longer be as soft as the day they were made, thus making it easier for pan-frying. Refrigerate left over kuehs for storage.

In my family, we sometimes eat Png Kueh with braised pork gravy (the loh from Loh Bak).
It actually tasted really good!

If using mini size mould, scale down to one quarter of the recipe. That will yield about 28 mini kuehs.

Pineapple Tarts

2007-01-08T17:03:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Simply Linnish
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes about 38 tartlets
Preparation Time ~ 50 minutes (including 30 minutes chilling time)
Cooking Time ~ 1 hour
Oven Temperature ~ 350F/180C
Baking Time ~ 12 minutes

Ingredients List

Dough
3/4 cup (170 g) plain flour
1/2 cup (125 g) butter, softened
1/2 tbsp caster sugar
A pinch of salt
1/2 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 tsp boiling water
1 egg for glacing

Fillings
2 medium size pineapples, grated
2 star anises
1 cinnamon stick
Sugar to taste

Step-by-Step

Cook grated pineapples with the spices & sugar in a non-stick saucepan over medium heat.
Keep stirring constantly & when pineapples start to get dry, change fire to low.
Cook pineapple mixture until browned & sticky. Set aside to cool.
To make dough, blend flour, butter, sugar & salt in a mixing bowl thoroughly.
Add in egg yolk & boiling water to make into a dough.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap & chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, roll pineapple fillings into balls or any shapes that follow your pineapple tart cutter.
When dough is ready, roll it into a piece of flat sheet & use pineapple tart cutter to cut out rounds, fill in pineapple fillings, glace with egg wash & bake in the oven until tarts are golden brown in color.

Food Thoughts

Pineapple Tarts are my favorite bakes during Chinese New Year. They are an all time favorite in my family too.

For convenience, fresh pineapples may be substituted with canned crushed pineapples but I find that fresh ones make a more delicious filling. Here in California, fresh pineapples are expensive so I mostly use canned pineapples instead.

If you like buttery pastry, this will be the recipe for you. Alot of my friends who have tried them love it. It makes me happy just seeing that they come back for more! I hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as everyone around me does.

*Special Notes* (Updated on February 15, 2007)

I tried another version for the pastry and it resulted in a richer taste.

Instead of using 1/2 cup of butter, use 1/4 cup of butter & 1/4 cup of cream cheese and replacing boiling water with fresh milk.

Flaky Egg Tarts

2007-01-08T16:54:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Simply Linnish
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes about 15 tarts
Preparation Time ~ 1 hour 30 minutes (including 1 hour chilling time)
Oven Temperature ~ 350F/180C
Baking Time ~ 25 to 30 minutes

Ingredients List

Pastry Crust
1 cup (250 g) butter, cubed & softened
3/4 cup (170 g/6 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 cup (625 g) all purpose flour
4 tbsp cold water

Fillings
3 eggs, lightly beatened
80 g (3 oz) granulated sugar
240 ml boiling water
40 ml evaporated milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Step-by-Step

In a large bowl, blend butter & cream cheese together.
Stir in flour & blend well.
Add in cold water & form mixture into a dough.
Add more water if necessary.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap & chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
To prepare the fillings, dissolve sugar in boiling water.
Set aside to cool.
When syrup has cooled, add in beaten eggs, evaporated milk & vanilla extract.
Mix well.
Strain mixture into smooth liquid.
Roll dough out & cut into rounds with a cookie cutter.
Press down pastry crust onto greased muffin cups & prick the base with a fork.
Fill pastry case with egg mixture to ¾ full.
Bake till egg custard is set.

Food Thoughts

It certainly wasn't easy to make a perfect egg tart. This recipe was derived after several trial & errors. I'm just glad I was able to achieve what I wanted, although there is still room for improvement. Here's one to share with all.

Biskut Lemak

2007-01-08T16:39:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Cakes & Desserts by Hajira Ali
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 42 cookies
Preparation Time ~ 20 minutes
Oven Temperature ~ 350F/180C
Baking Time ~ 10 minutes

Ingredients List

Dough
2 cups (500 g) plain flour
1 1/8 cup (270 g) butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla powder (I use vanilla essence to substitute)
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

Topping
1/2 cup (125 g) powdered sugar
1/2 packet chocolate, melted

Step-by-Step

Mix butter with vanilla powder & cinnamon powder till white & fluffy.
Add flour & knead dough until soft.
Shape dough by pinching them into small balls & roll into long or round shapes by using hands. Place them onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake cookies for 10 mins.
Let cookies to be completely cool. Sift powdered sugar on top of cookies & decorate with piped melted chocolate. Let chocolate cool off before storing in airtight container.

Food Thoughts

To make Pandan flavour, substitute vanilla powder with pandan essence & add in 1/2 tsp of green coloring. May add more if you think the coloring is not strong enough. Double the amount of ingredients if you would like to make bigger batches.

Note that melted chocolate is rather difficult to wash off, thus using disposable piping bag is the best choice. The brand of chocolate I like to use in S'pore is "TULIP" brand chocoate. It comes in a big pack (A4 size) which cost only $5, semi-sweet & can be found in certain provision shops or supermarket. Leftover chocolate can be re-used by letting it harden & re-store in the fridge. Over here, I can only use semi-sweet chocolate chips to substitute.

Tofu Crabmeat Soup

2007-01-08T16:32:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Simply Linnish
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time ~ 5 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 45 minutes

Ingredients Listed

8 cups (2 l) water
1 piece soft beancurd, cut into bite size
200 g fresh or frozen crab meat
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp cornstarch fully dissolved in water
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp chopped green onions
1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Step-by-Step

In a stock pot, bring water to a boil.
Toss beancurd & crab meat in & let bring to a boil again.
Simmer soup for about 30 minutes over low fire.
Season soup with salt to your taste.
Stir cornstarch mixture in quickly & let soup thickens.
Pour beaten eggs in, turn off stove & stir slowly to create the egg flakes.
Do not over stir.
Garnish soup with green onions, cilantro & pepper before serving.

Food Thoughts

I created this recipe one day out of my craving for hot soup. To make seafood soup, other variety of seafood may also be used instead of only crab meat.

Fish Soup

2007-01-08T16:28:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Family recipe by Mom
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time ~ 10 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 30 minutes

Ingredients List

8 cups (2 l) water
4 ginger slices
1 piece fish fillet (any kind), sliced
1 packet szechuan veggies or preserved veggies
2 tomatoes, quartered
1 tsp light soy sauce
Salt & pepper to taste
8 Chinese lettuce leaves
1 tbsp chopped spring onions
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tbsp fried shallots

Step-by-Step

Bring water to a boil.
Toss in ginger slices when water boils.
Let it boil for 5 minutes for the ginger to infuse.
Add in szechuan veggies & tomatoes.
Simmer for about 10 minutes.
Lastly, add in fish slices & let it cook for another 5 minutes.
Season with light soy sauce, salt & pepper.
Garnish soup with Chinese lettuce, spring onions, cilantro & fried shallots before serving.
May also serve with red cut chilies for extra kick.

Food Thoughts

This is something which I can't find here in California. Luckily, it is so easy to prepare that whenever I crave for fish soup, I can easily make it instantly, provided I have the ingredients at hand. The above is my mom's version, do try it!

Apple Soup

2007-01-08T16:21:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Family recipe by Mom
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time ~ 5 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 1 hour

Ingredients List

8 cups (2 l) water
4 red apples, cut into chunks
A handful of red dates
6 honey dates
5 figs
A handful of Chinese sweet almonds

Step-by-Step

Combine all ingredients together in a pot & add in water.
Bring to a boil.
Turn heat down to low & let simmer until apples are soft & the flavor has infused the soup.

Food Thoughts

The very first time my mom made this soup, I fell in love with it. Not only is it easy to make but it is also very nutritious for our body & skin.

The natural sweetness in the soup comes from the apples & dates. Apples may be substituted with Chinese pears or if you like, may also combine both apples & Chinese pears to cook.

Mango Pudding

2007-01-08T16:17:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Family recipe by Angela
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 15 servings
Preparation Time ~ 10 minutes
Chilling Time ~ 2 hours or more

Ingredients List

3 fresh mangoes
2 cups boiling water
3 packets lemon jelly
2 eggs
2 cups fresh milk

Step-by-Step

Chop mangoes into small pieces.
Dissolve jelly in boiling water.
Toss mangoes into jelly mixture.
Crack in eggs & beat well.
Add in fresh milk & blend the mixture well.
Pour the mousse into jelly cups & let stand until cool.
Chill pudding in the fridge until firm & ready to be served.

Food Thoughts

I have to thank my sister, Angela, for this recipe. We had been using this recipe in our family for several years now. It is an easy & quick, error proof recipe so you can't go wrong. Make ahead of time & it's great for parties!

May chill pudding in small jelly moulds instead of cups for different varieties.

Yam Rice

2007-01-06T17:35:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Family recipe by Mom
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 2 servings
Preparation Time ~ 15 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 45 minutes

Ingredients List

1 cup rice, washed
150 g yam, diced
4 Chinese mushrooms, soaked & sliced
50 g dried prawns, soaked for 5 minutes
100 g chicken breast meat (or any other meat), diced
Salt & pepper to taste
Light soy sauce to taste
Chopped spring onions
Chopped cilantro
Fried shallots

Step-by-Step

Heat some oil in a saucepan.
Saute dried prawns & mushrooms until fragrant.
Toss in yam to fry for about 5 minutes.
Season with pepper & light soy sauce.
Add in a bit of water & let yam simmer till almost cook, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
Place washed rice in rice cooker.
Add in a dash of salt.
Add in the fried mixture & cook according as per cooking regular rice.
When rice is cooked, mix it thoroughly.
Garnish with spring onions, cilantro & fried shallots before serving.

Food Thoughts

Yam Rice is a very popular dish among the Teochews. Back home, we often eat this rice dish with Fish Soup. Without a doubt, this pair is always so perfect together, especially when eaten with red cut chili padi, it just makes me crave for more!

Squids with Sesame Seeds

2007-01-06T17:28:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Simply Linnish
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 2 servings
Preparation Time ~ 15 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 15 minutes

Ingredients List

750 g squids, washed & cut into rings
Vegetable oil for frying
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp spring onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp water
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp rice wine
1 tsp dark soy sauce
A dash of white pepper
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Step-by-Step

Scald squid rings with boiling water till white.
Drain squid rings & wipe dry.
Heat oil.
Shallow fry squid rings till crispy & golden brown.
In a wok, add in a bit of oil.
Stir fry garlic, ginger & spring onions.
Add in all the seasonings & let it cook till sticky.
Return squid rings to the wok & add in sesame seeds to fry for a while.
Mix well & serve.

Food Thoughts

Squids cooked in this way are my all time favorite. Love their crispness with a little bit of sweetness from the sauce. With sesame seeds added in, they are really aromatic. Good to go with rice.

Prawn Noodle Soup

2007-01-06T17:20:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Simply Linnish
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 2 servings
Preparation Time ~ 10 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 1 hour

Ingredients List

10 prawns, with heads on, washed
3 ~ 4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
1/2 tsp whole white pepper, lightly crushed
A pinch of dried savory (optional)
A pinch of praprika
A small lump of white rock sugar
1/2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
Salt & ground white pepper to taste
Water spinach (kangkung)
Beansprouts
Yellow noodles or vermicelli or mixed
Red cut chilies & fried shallots for garnishing

Step-by-Step

In a pot, heat a little bit of oil.
Saute prawns for a minute & add in 1 cup of water to let boil.
Drain prawns out & retain the prawn stock.
Shell prawns & set aside.
Retain prawn heads & shells.
In another pot, heat up a bit of oil.
Saute prawn heads & shells until fragrant.
Add in garlic cloves & savory to saute for another minute.
Remove from heat & add in the crushed white pepper, rock sugar, prawn stock & some more water to desired serving.
Season the stock with praprika, light & dark soy sauce, salt & ground white pepper.
Bring to a boil & let it simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes or until the flavor seeps into the stock.
To serve, boil water to scald the vegetables & cook the noodles.
Arrange cooked noodles in a bowl, garnish with prawns, vegetables, chilies & shallots.
Scoop prawn soup over & serve immediately.

Food Thoughts

I love Prawn Noodles. The above is my own method of making prawn soup with addition of the herb, dried savory. Just a little will add extra fragrance to the soup, too much would be overpowering. Praprika added in makes the soup a little spicy, which is how I like it to be.

Over here, I can't find any good yellow noodles to go with this soup, so I substituted with Korean udon, which is pretty much like our so-called "rough bee hoon" (cho bee hoon). Other vegetables may also be substituted from its original water spinach. It tastes just as good!

Mui Fun

2007-01-06T17:12:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Simply Linnish
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes ~ 2 servings
Preparation Time ~ 15 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 20 minutes

Ingredients List

2 rice bowls of cooked rice
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
3 pieces Chinese mushrooms, soaked & sliced
3 stalks Chinese broccoli (gai lan), cut
1 carrot, sliced
6 medium prawns, washed & deveined
1 piece fish fillet, sliced
1 piece chicken breast meat
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 4 tbsp water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Sesame oil for marination

Step-by-Step

Boil a pot of water, about 1 liter.
When water boils, add in chicken breast meat to cook until meat is cooked, about 10 minutes.
Retain chicken stock & shred chicken meat.
Add in a drizzle of sesame oil to marinate. Set side.
Marinate prawns & fish slices with a drizzle of sesame oil & set aside.
In a wok, heat some oil.
Saute chopped garlic till fragrant.
Add in mushrooms to fry for a minute.
Add in all the vegetables to stir-fry, followed by shredded chicken, prawns & fish slices.
Stir fry for a bit & add in all the seasonings, except cornflour mixture.
Pour reserved chicken stock into the stir-frys & bring to a boil.
When water boils, taste for seasonings at this point.
Pour in the cornflour mixture & mix well.
Let boil until mixture thickens.
Swirl in eggs but do not stir.
Turn off heat after about 1 minute.
To serve, scoop rice into a plate & pour the gravy mixture in.
Sprinkle some pepper in & serve with preserved green chilies or red cut chilies.

Food Thoughts

One of my husband's favorite dishes, I decided to give it a try based on what I know about Hor Fun (flat noodles in starchy gravy). It is exactly the same as the gravy in Hor Fun, only this is with rice instead.

Mui Fun, basically known as a mixture of ingredients in rice with gravy, is a popular hawker food in Singapore. It is special on its own and taste especially appetizing with preserved green chilies!

Mee Siam

2007-01-06T17:05:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Home Economics Cooking Class
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 2 servings
Preparation Time ~ 1 hour
Cooking Time ~ 30 minutes

Ingredients List

Grind Together
10 dried chilies
10 shallots
1 knob belacan

1/2 packet beehoon, soaked in cold water till soft
1 handful beansprouts
150 g prawns, shelled & cleaned (do not discard heads & shells)
1 tbsp preserved soy beans (taucheo), pounded
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
1 cup thin coconut milk
Tamarind juice to taste
Salt & sugar to taste

Garnishings
Seasoned prawns
1 hardboiled egg, sliced
1/2 firm beancurd, diced & fried
2 stalks chives (koo chye), cut
2 limes, halved

Step-by-Step

Grind chilies, shallots & belacan together till fine & set aside.
Put prawn heads & shells in a pot & boil with 2 cups water.
Add in 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the stock.
When stock boils, discard prawn shells & scald the soaked beehoon. Drain well.
Heat up some oil in a large saucepan.
Fry the ground ingredients for a minute.
Add in half portion of preserved soy beans.
Fry well & season with sugar & salt.
Divide mixture into 3 portions & set aside.
To 1st portion of ground ingredients, toss in beansprouts to mix well. Scoop up & set aside.
Heat up some more oil.
Fry beehoon in the saucepan.
Add in about 2 to 3 tablespoons of thick coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of tamarind juice & a bit of salt to taste.
Stir quickly & mix in the beansprouts mixture.
Remove beehoon on a serving plate.
To 2nd portion of ground ingredients, fry prawns.
Do not overfry, add a bit of salt & 1 tablespoon of thick coconut milk to season.
Remove onto a serving plate.
To 3rd portion of ground ingredients, add in the remaining half of the preserved soy beans to fry in a pot.
Add in all the coconut milk, tamarind juice, salt & sugar to taste.
Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes.
Garnish beehoon with seasoned prawns, sliced eggs, firm beancurd, chives & limes.
Serve hot with gravy.

Food Thoughts

I love this Mee Siam recipe & had kept this treasure with me since my school days until now, it has became one of our favorite dishes in the family. It is something different from the Mee Siam sold outside. This one has little gravy in it & is thicker too. Usually, I like to mix in yellow noodles to fry with beehoon , it definitely spices up the dish more!

Chut Bee Png

2007-01-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Family recipe by Mom
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 2 ~ 4 servings
Preparation Time ~ 10 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 30 minutes

Ingredients List

2 cups glutinous rice, washed
Salt to taste
2 shallots, sliced (alternatively, may use fried shallots)
100g dried prawns, soaked for 5 mins
4 Chinese mushrooms, soaked & sliced thinly
1/2 cup canned peanuts
A dash of white pepper
1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

Step-by-Step

Place washed rice into the rice cooker, add in water & salt to taste. Cook rice.
In a saucepan, saute shallots, dried prawns & mushrooms till fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Add in peanuts to fry for a while.
Set the fried mixture aside.
When rice is cooked, combine the fried mixture with glutinous rice to mix thoroughly.
Season with white pepper.
Garnish with cilanto & serve with chili sauce.

Food Thoughts

The above is an easy way to make Glutinous Rice. Nowadays with rice cooker, it is so convenient without having to steam it for a long time in the steamer. Best when you are craving for an authentic Singapore breakfast.

Emperor's Chicken

2007-01-06T16:56:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Family recipe by Mom
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 4 ~ 6 servings
Preparation Time ~ 20 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 2 hours

Ingredients List

1 whole chicken (about 1.2 ~ 1.5kg)
1 packet Emperor Chicken herbs & spices mix
1 carrot, skinned & diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
100 g cashew nuts
Cilantro for garnishing

Step-by-Step

Wash & clean chicken. Set aside.
Mix all the vegetables & cashew nuts together in a bowl.
Put about 2 tablespoons of the herbs & spices mix in to mix throughly with the vegetables mixture.
Apply the rest of the herbs & spices mix onto the skin & inside of chicken, massaging the chicken at the same time.
Scoop the vegetable stuffings inside the chicken & seal up with toothpicks or skewers so stuffing will not fall out.
Wrap chicken in the plastic wrapper, followed by aluminium foil provided in the package mix. Place the wrapped chicken on a steaming dish.
Let stand for about 30 minutes while preparing for steamer.
Steam chicken for 2 hours over low heat.
Garnish with cilantro before serving.

Food Thoughts

This is how my mom does it when she makes Emperor's Chicken ~ with stuffings. Just like roasting a turkey with stuffings but this is steaming a chicken instead.

Whenever I make this dish, I would prepare ahead of time & store the chicken in the fridge until ready to steam. In this way, the marination would seep into the chicken for better flavor.
Goes pretty well with Chicken Rice.

I tried once making it into a herbal soup with the left over chicken, just add in water & let it boil. Season with salt if necessary. It tasted like those herbal chicken soup which has been simmered for hours!

Claypot Braised Chicken Wings

2007-01-06T16:52:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Simply Linnish
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 3 ~ 4 servings
Preparation Time ~ 15 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients List

8 chicken wings (drumlettes & mid-joints), divide the segments
5 Chinese mushrooms, soaked till plump, cut off stem, retain water
1 clove garlic, crushed with skin on
2 segments spring onions (the end part)
6 ginger slices
2 small rock sugar lumps
1 tsp cooking oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Dark soy sauce to taste
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
3/4 cup water

Step-by-Step

Heat up a claypot till smoky, using medium high heat.
Add in both oils to heat a bit.
Saute garlic, spring onions & ginger slices for a minute.
Add in rock sugar, a dash of salt & pepper & rice wine to fry for a bit, followed by mushrooms & chicken wings.
Add in dark soy sauce to stir fry.
Pour in retained mushroom water into the mixture.
Add in some more water, stir well, cover claypot & let it simmer over low heat for about 1 hour or until chicken is tender.
Taste for saltiness.
Check stew constantly while simmering to prevent stew from drying up.
Serve hot over steamed rice.

Food Thoughts

I re-created this recipe from my mom's basic Braised Pork (Loh Bak) recipe, omitting the spices that are used. I like the smell & taste of sesame oil so I tend to add in a bit more when I cook this dish. Regular pot can be used instead of claypot but I find that using claypot for stews bring out the flavor more.

Chicken Stew

2007-01-06T16:45:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Home Economics Cooking Class
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 2 ~ 3 servings
Preparation Time ~ 10 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 30 minutes

Ingredients List

10 chicken drumlettes & mid-joints
1 small onion, cut into quarters
1 small carrot, skinned, washed & cut into 2cm thick
1 big potato, skinned & cut into quarters
3 tbsp frozen peas
1 1/2 cup water
2 tbsp plain flour
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cloves
2 star anises
Light soy sauce to taste
Salt & pepper to taste

Step-by-Step

Coat chicken wings with flour evenly, shaking off excess flour.
Heat some oil in a saucepan.
Fry coated chicken wings until browned, about 5 minutes on each side.
Dish out & set aside.
Saute onions & spices till fragrant.
Blend remaining flour with a little bit of water & add to the onion mixture.
Add in carrots, potatoes & chicken & water.
Bring to a boil & simmer until chicken & vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
Add green peas & simmer for another 5 minutes. Season to taste.
Serve hot over steamed rice.

Food Thoughts

This dish has a very fragrant taste due to the varieties of spices used. I learnt this dish from my home economics class back in the secondary school days. When I brought home for mom to try, she loved it. The first time I made it for my husband, he thought it was a very nice stew. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

Lor Mai Kai

2007-01-06T16:39:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Courtesy of my friend, Min Lee Chia
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time ~ 1 hour 30 minutes (including 1 hour marinating)
Cooking Time ~ 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients List

125 g chicken thigh fillets, sliced thinly
250 g glutinous rice, washed & drained
1 tbsp oil
25 g Chinese mushrooms, soaked & sliced
2 1/2 tbsp fried shallots
2 cups water

Seasonings A
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp Chinese rice wine
1/4 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp ginger juice
1/4 sesame oil
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 corn flour
A dash of white pepper

Seasonings B
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp five spice powder

Step-by-Step

Season chicken slices with Seasonings A for 1 hour.
Steam glutinous rice for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a wok & fry mushrooms for a minute. Set aside.
Fry glutinous rice with Seasonings B & fried shallots together for a minute.
Add in water, mix well & simmer for about 8 minutes, covered. Set aside.
Prepare steamer.
Grease 4 steaming bowls with a little bit of sesame oil.
Fill the bowls with rice mixture & top with a few slices of chicken fillets.
Press it down nicely with the back of a spoon.
Steam over boiling water for about 30 minutes.
Garnish with spring onions & cilantro before serving.
Also, serve with chili sauce.

Food Thoughts

My sincere thanks to my friend, Min, who provided me with this fabulous recipe.

The original recipe yields 6 servings & ingredients were double the amount of the above portions. I have scale down to 4 servings instead. Although it is rather tedious in the process of making Lor Mak Kai, this is a must-try. I strongly recommend it.

Char Kway Teow

2007-01-06T16:19:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Simply Linnish
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 1 serving
Preparation Time ~ 10 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 10 minutes

Ingredients List

250 g cooked kway teow (flat rice noodles)
1 clove garlic, chopped
A big handful of bean sprouts
1 piece fish cake, sliced
4 medium size prawns, shelled
1 egg, lightly beaten

Seasonings
A sprinkle of salt
A dash of white ground pepper
1 tbsp light soya sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp dark sweet soy sauce
1/2 tbsp Nonya sambal chili sauce (more if you prefer spicier)

Step-by-Step

In a wok, heat some oil.
Saute chopped garlic till fragrant.
Toss in bean sprouts to stir-fry, followed by fishcakes.
Stir-fry for a minute.
Add in prawns to stir-fry.
Season the mixture with a little bit of salt & pepper.
Toss in kway teow to fry together with the mixture.
Add in all the seasonings to your taste & stir-fry the mixture evenly.
Add in some water to stir-fry if you like it more moist.
Lastly, pour the beaten egg over the kway teow & let it set a bit for a few seconds.
Stir-fry thoroughly for another few seconds & serve immediately.

Food Thoughts

A popular hawker food in Singapore, Char Kway Teow is definitely a delicious noodle dish that one would never forget after trying. Originally, it is stir-fried with beansprouts, fish cakes, Chinese sausages, cockles and eggs. You can adjust your preferred ingredients, like for mine, I substituted cockles with prawns and omitted Chinese sausages as I am not a great fan of them.

Here's sharing with you my own version of Char Kway Teow, enjoy!

Tempura Cauliflower

2007-01-06T16:02:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Family recipe by Mom
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 2 servings
Preparation Time ~ 10 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 20 minutes

Ingredients List

1 small cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup (250 g) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp light soy sauce
A dash of salt
A dash of pepper
Cold water

Step-by-Step

Wash cauliflower & drain well.
In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder & soda together.
Add in cold water to form a thick batter consistency.
Season batter with light soy sauce, salt & pepper.
Set batter aside.
Prepare oil for deep-frying.
When oil is hot, dip each cauliflower into the batter & deep-fry them until golden brown in color.
Serve tempura cauliflower with tempura dipping sauce & chili sauce.

Food Thoughts

This is one of our family favorites. Mom's original recipe does not include baking powder & soda, thus the tempura tends to get soft after a while. I added in both of the ingredients to enhance the crispness of the batter.

Sweet Potato Dumplings

2007-01-06T15:56:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ The Thirty-Six Ways to Deep Fry by Lee Ngan Woon
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 24 pieces
Preparation Time ~ 15 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 30 minutes

Ingredients List

300 g sweet potatoes
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup plain flour, sifted
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 tbsp cooking oil

Step-by-Step

Wash sweet potatoes and transfer to a pot.
Add water & boil until sweet potatoes are tender.
Peel & mash.
Add in sugar, plain flour & oil to mix well with the mashed sweet potaotes.
Knead to form a dough.
Pinch out balls from the dough and flatten them.
Using 2 teaspoons, scoop 1/2 tsp of peanut butter onto the center of each dough.
Wrap up & shape them into triangles.
Deep fry dumplings over medium heat until crisp and golden brown.

Food Thoughts

This dumpling recipe is pretty interesting! It gives me an idea of using taro instead of sweet potatoes. The fillings are up to you too. They can range from savory to sweet fillings, the possibilities are endless! Makes great appetizers or afternoon snacks.

Spicy Javanese Tofu

2007-01-06T15:51:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Singaporean, Malaysian & Indonesian Cuisine by
Christina Sjahir Hwang
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time ~ 20 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 10 minutes

Ingredients List

Grind Together
5 red chilies
4 shallots
2 cloves garlic

1lb (450 g) firm tofu
2 cups oil for deep-frying
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp tamarind juice
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp sweet soy sauce

Step-by-Step

Grind the chilies, shallots & garlic till fine.
Cut tofu into 16 pieces.
Heat oil & deep-fry tofu over high heat until golden brown.
Set aside in a serving platter.
Mix ground chilies with the rest of the seasonings in a small pot.
Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce heat to low & cook for 5 minutes.
Pour over tofu to serve.

Food Thoughts

I like this dish because of its mixture of sweet, sour & spicy flavor. It makes a great appetizer alone or serve with rice!

Sambal Dried Prawns

2007-01-06T15:43:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Family recipe by Mom
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 6 ~ 8 servings
Preparation Time ~ 10 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 45 minutes

Ingredients List

100 g dried prawns, soaked for 5 minutes
150 g chili padi
50 g shallots
5 candlenuts

Step-by-Step

Grind dried prawns in a grinder, take note that texture should not be too fine. Set aside.
Grind chilies until rather fine, then add in shallots & candlenuts to grind till fine.
A little bit of oil may be added in to form a smooth consistency.
In a saucepan, heat up some oil.
Saute ground dried prawns for a minute.
Add in ground chili mixture to fry together. Add in some more oil if it's too dry.
Keep stirring constantly to prevent mixture from getting burnt.
Add in water bit by bit as you fry.
Cook till it turns brown & is very fragrant.
Serve over rice or use it for stir-frying vegetables.
Store Hae Bee Hiam in air-tight container in the fridge.
May store up to 2 months.

Food Thoughts

My mom loves to make her own Hae Bee Hiam at home because she likes it spicy without the sweet taste. The ones sold outside usually have sugar added in. I like to use it for stir frying water spinach (kang kong). It is so convenient if I have a bottle of ready-made Hae Bee Hiam in the fridge! Anytime I wanna stir-fry some spicy veggies, I'll be able to do so in a second! Nice!

Otak Otak

2007-01-06T15:36:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Simply Linnish
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 20 pieces
Preparation Time ~ 5 minutes
Oven Temperature ~ 450F/230C
Baking Time ~ 10 to 15 minutes

Ingredients List

4 tbsp sambal belacan (recipe can be found on this blog)
1 lb (500 g) fish paste
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
2 tsp cornstarch
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
20 banana leaves for wrapping (10cm by 16cm)
Toothpicks

Step-by-Step

Mix fish paste with sambal belacan.
Add in more sambal belacan if you like it spicier.
Add sugar, coconut milk, cornstarch & egg whites into the fish paste mixture.
Blend mixture until smooth & sticky.
Place about 2 tablespoons of mixture in the center of a banana leaf.
Roll up & insert a toothpick at each end of the leaf to seal up the wrapper.
Bake Otak Otak in the oven until done.

Food Thoughts

If wrapping bigger portion of Otak in the banana leaf, bake for 20 minutes instead. If an open grill is used, cook each side 15 minutes.

Omit sambal belacan if you are making the non-spicy ones for kids. This recipe is great to make ahead & bring for BBQ parties!

Meat Roll

2007-01-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Family Recipe by Mom
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 10 rolls
Preparation Time ~ 1 hour (including 30 minutes marination time)
Steaming Time ~ 10 minutes

Ingredients List

1 lb (500 g) ground pork
1/2 lb (250 g) prawns, minced
Fresh beancurd skin

Finely Chopped
8 pieces water chestnuts
2 stalks Chinese celery
1 carrot
1 leek
200 g shallots

Seasonings
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp cornflour
1 egg

Step-by-Step

Mix all ingredients together except the beancurd skin.
Season the ingredients & let marinate for about 30 minutes.
Lay beancurd skin on a board, trimming the width to about 10 inches wide.
Place fillings in the middle of the beancurd skin, fold the sides, roll tightly & cut off the beancurd skin. Repeat the same steps until fillings are used up.
Place meat rolls on a greased plate & steam for 10 minutes.
When meat rolls have completely cooled, deep fry or pan fry & cut into bite sized pieces before serving.
May also be stored in the freezer in a sealed ziploc bag until ready to cook.

Food Thoughts

Mom's lovely Meat Rolls are my family's all time favorite. It is a must-make item during the Lunar New Year festival. I love to cook it in 2 ways, either pan fry the whole roll and slice them into bite size pieces or slice them before deep frying. The latter creates a more crispy bite, either way I like them just fine.

Gold Bars

2007-01-06T02:08:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Simply Linnish
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 15 pieces
Preparation Time ~ 15 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 20 minutes

Ingredients List

15 medium-sized prawns, shelled & deveined
2 apples, peeled & diced
15 pieces spring roll skin (small size), thawed
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Mixed & Refrigerated
3/4 cup (175 ml) mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp sweetened condense milk
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
A dash of pepper

Batter
1/3 cup (75 ml) plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
150 ml water

Step-by-Step

Put diced apples in a bowl of ice water & refrigerate until ready to use.
Prepare batter by sifting flour & baking powder into a bowl. Add in water & mix well with wire whisk. Set aside.
Drain apples & pat dry with paper towel.
Peel off a piece of spring roll skin & place a spoonful of mayonnaise mixture at one corner, followed by placing a prawn on top & then 4 cubes of apples.
Fold this corner of the skin to cover the ingredients, then fold the sides inwards & roll wrap using a little water to seal the edges.
Heat oil.
Dip each prawn roll into the prepared batter to coat lightly before deep-frying.
The heat must not be too intense as the prawn must be cooked before the skin gets too brown.

Food Thoughts

I think the name suits these rolls perfectly. Strips of light golden brown rolls, they look just like gold bars! The combination of shrimps, apples & mayonnaise makes the fillings so creamy & deliciously good!

Preserved Green Chilies

2007-01-06T02:05:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Family recipe by Mom
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 12 ~ 15 servings
Preparation Time ~ 10 minutes

Ingredients List

200g green chilies
Boiling water
1/2 cup white vinegar
3 to 4 tbsp light soy sauce

Step-by-Step

Slice green chilies.
Pour boiling water over to scald the chilies.
Drain away the water.
Add in vinegar & light soy sauce into the chilies, making sure the liquid mixture cover over them.
Store chili sauce in air-tight container in the fridge.
May store up to 2 months.

Food Thoughts

It is very easy to make your own Preserved Green Chilies. Whenever I have left overs from a big packet of Thai chilies I bought from the supermarket, I will use the remaining green ones to make the above so as not to waste them.

Sambal Belacan for Otak Otak

2007-01-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Courtesy of my friend, Audrey Ng
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 5 ~ 6 servings
Preparation Time ~ 10 minutes

Ingredients List

150g chili padies
100g shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 small piece ginger
1 square piece belacan (4cm by 4cm)
A pinch of salt

Step-by-Step

Grill belacan till fragrant under low fire in a saucepan, without oil.
It is done when belacan starts to break up.
Put chilies into grinder to grind till rather fine.
Add in the rest of the ingredients except belacan & salt.
When ingredients are rather fine, add in belacan to grind till fine. Add in salt.
If mixture is too dry, oil may be added in to form a smooth consistency.
The sambal is ready to be used in making Otak Otak.
Store chili sauce in air-tight container in the fridge. May store up to 2 months or more in a freezer.

Food Thoughts

Thanks to my friend, Audrey, who has taught me how to make the above sambal for Otak Otak. This recipe is truly a keeper.

Sambal Belacan

2007-01-06T01:55:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Family recipe by Mom
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 6 ~ 8 servings
Preparation Time ~ 10 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 7 minutes

Ingredients List

200g chili padies
1 square piece belacan (4cm by 4cm)
Salt & sugar to taste
Lime juice

Step-by-Step

Grill belacan till fragrant under low fire in a saucepan, without oil.
It is done when belacan starts to break up, about 5 minutes.
Put chilies into grinder to grind till rather fine.
Add in the rest of the ingredients except lime juice & grind till smooth.
Taste for saltiness.
In a saucepan, heat some oil.
Place grinded sambal belacan in & fry for a bit, about 2 to 3 minutes.
To serve as a dipping sauce, add in lime juice before serving.
Store chili sauce in air-tight container in the fridge.
May store up to 2 months.

Food Thoughts

I have always made my sambal belacan using the above method ~ my mom's way. Over the years of search for different recipes, I have came to know that the authentic way of making sambal belacan is without having to fry it after grinding. It can be stored straight into the fridge or use it for cooking or serve immediately as a sauce. How interesting it is! But somehow, I still enjoy the way my mom does it, it is so MY MOM.

Sambal for Nasi Lemak

2007-01-06T01:47:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Simply Linnish
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 6 ~ 8 servings
Preparation Time ~ 10 minutes
Cooking Time ~ 3 minutes

Ingredients List

200g dried chilies, soaked in warm water
1/2 white onions
4 shallots
Salt & sugar to taste

Step-by-Step

Grind chilies in grinder to grind till rather fine.
Add in both onions & shallots to grind till fine.
Fry chili sauce in hot oil until oil seeps through the sauce.
Season with salt & sugar.
Store chili sauce in air-tight container in the fridge.
May store up to 2 months.

Food Thoughts

When eating Nasi Lemak, it is not as delicious without the chili sauce. Usually what I like to do is to fry the above chili sauce with ikan bilis. It is simply awesome when you mix the sambal ikan bilis into the rice, it makes me drool just thinking about it!

Chili Sauce for Chicken Rice

2007-01-06T01:37:00.000-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Simply Linnish
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 6 to 8 servings
Preparation Time ~ 10 minutes

Ingredients List

200g fresh red chilies
4 cloves garlic
1 small piece of ginger (thumb size), peeled
4 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp light soy sauce (may be substitued with fish sauce)
Salt & sugar to taste

Step-by-Step

Put chilies, garlic & ginger into grinder to grind till rather fine.
Add in the rest of the ingredients & grind till smooth.
Taste for saltiness.
Store chili sauce in air-tight container in the fridge.
May store up to 2 months.

Food Thoughts

I love making my own chili sauces. The above recipe taste as authentic as the ones in chicken rice stalls, minus off the high content of salt you get from outside food. You simply can't eat Chicken Rice without the chili sauce, yum!

Acar

2007-01-05T22:30:00.001-08:00

Recipe Source ~ Family recipe by Mom
Photo Shot ~ Simply Linnish

Makes 8 ~ 10 servings
Preparation Time ~ 20 minutes

Ingredients List

1 cucumber
1 carrot, skin peeled
1/2 cabbage
5 ~ 6 Thai green chili padi
4 tbsp nonya sambal chili
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tbsp roasted white sesame seeds
Salt & sugar to taste

Step-by-Step

Slice cucumber into thin wedges, with skin on.
Slice carrots into thin strips.
Slice cabbage into coarse strips.
Toss all vegetables together in a mixing bowl together with chili padi.
Add in sambal chili & vinegar to mix well.
Season mixture with salt & sugar.
Sprinkle in sesame seeds to mix thoroughly.
Store Acar in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Food Thoughts

I grew up eating Acar with porridge. Most of the time, mom would make her own to store in the fridge.

You can practically add any of your favorite vegetables or fruits in this recipe. My suggestion would be pineapples or green mangoes. It's heavenly.