Pandan Chiffon Cupcake

Trying to bake pandan chiffon in the form of cupcakes. Always wonder if it can be done. Saw some others tried & posted their bakes.

Here are my bakes. They are nicely baked on the outside & soft on the inside. I like the outcome.  

Pandan Chiffon Recipe:

Ingredients 

Batter A : 

6 egg whites 

100g sugar 

1/2 tsp cream of tartar 

Batter B:

6 egg yolks 

100g sugar

100g plain flour 

50g ( 1/4 cup) oil

50g ( 1/4 cup ) coconut milk 

1 tbsp Pandan extract 

1/2 baking powder ( optional ) 

Preparation steps : 

1. Separate the ingredients needed respectively. Batter A & batter B. 

2. Put all the ingredients for batter A in a mixing bowl & whisk until stiff peak. 

3. In a separate mixing bowl, add egg yolks & sugar. Mix well. Then add the coconut milk , oil & Pandan extract. Mix well. 

4. Fold in the flour until well mixed. 

5. Gently fold batter A into batter B until well combined. 

6. Line muffin trays with liners & fill in the batter until 2/3 full. Tap a few times to release the trapped air if there is any. 

7. Bake in a preheated oven at 160 degree C for 30 minutes. 

8. Remove & let it cool completely. 

Bon appétit ! 

Chin's notes: 

1. This is the same recipe that I used for baking chiffon in the chiffon baking tin.

2. For normal chiffon bake, bake for 55 mins to get the lovely crust on the side. Turn baking tin upside down for cooling. Remove cake from baking tin. Slice the cake into serving portion before serving. 

3. Other chiffon bakes 

http://fromchinshome.blogspot.fr/2014/09/earl-grey-chiffonc.html?m=1

4. 1 March 2015 - a few asked if Cream of tartar is a must. I don't think it is a must as long as the egg white is whisked to stiff peak. I just have to test it out.  It is possible & below is my bake without cream of tartar added to the egg whites. 

Jiu Hu Char - Fried shredded yam bean with dried cuttlefish

Jiu Hu Char

If you are from Penang, you will know this dish. With just a few ingredients, it is full of flavours.

It can be eaten with rice or just wrap with Chinese lettuce. Homemade sambal is a must for this dish. 

Bangkuang / yam bean

Ingredients

This is how I wrap it. Spread some sambal on the Chinese lettuce, & with a spoon full of jiu hu char. 

& just fold it up like this. 

Jiu Hu Char Recipe: 

Ingredients: 

500g yam bean / bangkuang

2 carrots 

3 dried mushrooms - soak in water. 

5 cloves garlic - minced 

50g shredded dried cuttle fish - cleaned 

50g dried shrimps - cleaned 

2 tsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar or to taste

Salt & pepper to tast

3 tbsp cooking oil

100ml water

Preparation steps:

1. Thinly shred the bangkuangs & carrots. As thin as you can, about toothpick length & size. 

2. Thinly sliced the soften mushrooms. 

3. Heat up oil in a wok. Add the garlic, fry until fragrant then add in the cuttlefish & dried shrimps. Fry until fragrant. 

4. Add the mushrooms, fry a little then add the carrots. Fry for a few minutes. 

5. Add the bangkuang, fry until they are soften. Add some water & all the seasoning. stir well & let it simmer for 10minutes. Then fry until semi dry. 

6. Let it cool, keep in the fridge & reheat the next day before serving. 

7. Serve with steamed cooked rice / Chinese lettuce. Sambal is a must! 

Bon appétit !!

Chin's notes : 

1. Best eaten the next day. 

2. Sometimes, pork belly is added to this dish, thinly slice the pork belly to the same size of the bankuang / carrot. 

3. Homemade sambal recipe : http://fromchinshome.blogspot.fr/2014/12/sambal-belacan.html?m=0

Yusheng without the fish

A popular dish during the Chinese New Year festive celebration.  This dish symbolises good luck, good fortune , good health, good success & everything that is good in life!

Here is my very simple version of YuSheng (鱼生) without the fish. ;) 

Ingredients: 

Carrots - thinly sliced 

Romanian lettuce - thinly sliced 

Pomelo - loosen the pulps

Yusheng sauce / plum sauce

Peanuts - crushed coarsely 

Sesame seeds - I used wasabi flavoured sesame seeds

Coriander leaves 

A dash of 5 spice powder 

Preparation steps :

1. Lay carrots , lettuce & pomelo neatly on the plate. 

2. Add the sauce , followed by peanuts, sesame seeds, some 5 spice powder then coriander leaves. 

3. Gathered everyone & toss with the chopsticks, as high as you can and say all the good wishes as you toss! 

4. Lastly everyone shout "Huat Ah" (good fortune)! 

Bon appétit !!

Chin's notes:

1. Other ingredients can be added

Sugared winter melons

Pickled ginger

Crackers

2. Raw salmon / canned abalone sliced.

3. The raw fish sauce that I used 

Happy Chinese New Year 2015

Managed to get my house decorated with some simple decoration for the year of the goat. 

Simplified PenCai (盆菜)

All yummy food in a pot.  Last minute decided to prepare PenCai (盆菜). Normally it will take a long time, even days to prepare this dish. A popular dish during the Chinese New Year's celebration / reunion dinner.

A quick check into my stocks, I don't have frozen scallops :( I'll just have to make do with what I have available in my kitchen. 

Phew! I found 2 cans of braised abalone! 

Lay the ingredients neatly on the vegetables. 

After 1.5hr, voilà! a simple PenCai is served. 

We had it with Beehoon today. Yum! 

Simplified PenCai Recipe:

Ingredients

2 cans of braised abalones - I used Skylight

1 can of limpets 

Some dried mushrooms - soaked 

Some prawns 

1 Chinese cabbage - cut into big pieces. 

Some fish maw 

Other seafood of choice 

Fresh mushrooms of choice 

Some canned abalone 

Roasted pork / chicken ( optional ) 

Preparation steps: 

1. Separate the canned ingredients & the broth. 

2. Pour broth into a pot & bring to boil. 

3. Add in the Chinese cabbage. 

4. Add in the soaked dried mushrooms. Bring to boil for about 10 mins & let it simmer.  

5. Slowly arrange all the canned ingredients, seafood of choice & other ingredients neatly on the Chinese cabbage. Put on the lid & let it simmer until all ingredients are fully cooked. 

6. Served hot. 

Bon appétit !! 

Chin's notes: 

1. Use any ingredients that does not require a long cooking time. Normally I like to use fresh / frozen seafood. Fish balls are ideal too. 

2. Any choice of canned seafood are ideal, pacific clams are ideal too.

3. No additional seasoning is required as I find the braised abalone's broth is quite tasty. After the vegetable is cooked, it enhanced the broth.  Can add some oyster sauce if you like. 

4. No additional water is required as the Chinese cabbage will release some fluid during the cooking process. 

5. Idéal to eat this dish the following day. But I find that they are quite tasty on the day it was prepared. 

Origami - Fortune God (财神爷）

财神到！Saw some friends folding the cute Fortune God (财神爷）& I joined in the fun. I made from one long Chinese New Year red packet. 

Divide the red packet into 2 equal squares.

Here is the link to the video shared by my friends:

http://pinbox.tw/box/10230

The back of the Fortune God 

Summary of the steps from the video:

Grilled Fish with Crispy Garlic

I have always loved crispy garlic but I never thought that my kids will like crispy garlic too. 

Made this simple dish, my kids just loved them (except for the youngest child). 

Grilled Fish with Crispy Garlic Recipe: 

Ingredients: 

Any white fish fillets - I used frozen tilapia fillet. 

Garlics

Oil

Spring onions / coriander for garnishing. 

Lee Kum Kee - Seasoned soy sauce for seafood. 

Preparation steps : 

1. Grill the fish until it is fully cook about 10 - 15 mins on high. 

2. Meanwhile finely chopped up the garlic as much garlic as you wish. 

3. Heat up oil in a wok/pan. Fried the garlic until golden brown. 

4. Remove fish from the oven, place on plate, pour 1 - 2 tbsp of seasoned soy sauce on the fish ( depending on the size of the fish), followed by the crispy garlic & add garnishing.

Bon appétit !!

Chin's notes:

1. Don't over fried the garlic as they will turn bitter.

2: I did not marinate the fish as I find that the seasoned soy sauce is quite tasty. 

3. Whole fish is also great for this dish. 

4. Alternatively you can steamed the whole fish / pan fried the fish fillet.