Myulchi Bokkeum Sushi

myulchi bokkeum  sushi .....

Myulchi Bokkeum (Stir-fried Anchovies)

My Korean friend Clara introduced me to this appetising dish (sweet, salty, spicy and sticky)  which I later discovered that it is called Myulchi Bokkeum.  Myulchi means dried anchovy in Korean and Bokkeum means stir-fried.  It  is one of the basic  side dishes which is usually served with plain white rice.  Personally I like it as a filling for my sushi. 

Ingredients:

130g dried small anchovies  (* I used dried whitebaits)
2 - 3 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp sesame oil
20g garlic, minced
20g shallots, minced
2 tsp sesame seeds - lightly toasted

Sauce:  (mix all together)

2 tbsp brown sugar
2 ½ tbsp gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
1 ½ tbsp corn syrup
2 tbsp warm water
½ tsp soy sauce

• Wash and rinsed anchovies.
• Fry the anchovies until dry, then add enough oil to stir fry until slightly crispy.  Dish out and set aside.
• Add in about 1 tbsp oil, and saute minced shallots and ginger until fragrant.  Then pour in sauce and bring to the boil.  Simmer until slightly thickened.
• Add in fried anchovies and stir to combine.  Finally add in sesame oil and sesame seed.  Mix well. 

Coco-pandan Cake

A coconut-pandan cake ... thanks to Wendy  who kindly shared this recipe.  

Ingredients:

(A)
200gm self raising flour, sifted
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
250ml fresh milk
125gm butter
100gm sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp pandan essence 

(B)
2 egg whites
½ tsp cream of tartar
50gm sugar

• Preheat oven at 160 deg C. Line the base of a loaf tin (21 x 10 cm).
• Combine milk with pandan essence. 
• Beat (B) until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.
• With the same beaters, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in egg yolks, one at a time; beating well and scrape the bowl after each addition.
• Fold in flour into the egg yolk mixture, alternating with milk & pandan mixture.
• Add in dessicated coconut.  Mix well to combine.
• Finally fold in beaten egg whites in 3 additions.
• Pour batter onto prepared pan and bake for about 50 mins or until cooked.

Simple Fried Rice

Fried rice is a much-loved comfort food and I think it is also the world's favourite rice dish. A very versatile dish where you can add in whatever ingredients you fancy and the best dish to cook when you want to clear your leftovers in the fridge or freezer.  

(Serves 1)

Ingredients:

1 cup of cooked rice (overnight)

2 eggs

barbeque pork (char siew)

frozen green peas

carrots (cubed)

capsicum (cubed)

minced garlic

shredded ginger (optional)

sliced shallots

a dash of chinese cooking wine

pepper

a dash of light sauce (to taste)

a dash of sesame oil

• Heat oil and saute shallots, ginger and garlic.  Crack eggs into the wok and lightly scramble.  Remove from wok.  Set aside.
• Add extra oil and sesame oil and stir fry char siew until heated through.  Add in carrots and capsicum.  Then add in rice, soy sauce and green peas.  Stir fry for about 1 minute then add in cooking wine, continue frying for another 2 - 3 minutes.  Add in the scrambled eggs.  Season with pepper.
• Serve hot. 

Yam Rice (芋头饭)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup rice, washed and drained

400g yam, cut into cubes

30g dried shiitake mushroom, soaked and cut into cubes

40g dried shrimps, soaked

1 chinese sausage, sliced thinly

30g garlic, minced

2 shallots, sliced thinly

100g char siew, cut into cubes (alternatively you can also use pork or chicken)

Seasoning:

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp chicken granules

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sesame oil
pepper

cooking oil

spring onions for garnishing

• Heat oil under medium heat and saute shallots.  Remove  fried shallots  and set aside. Then saute garlic until aromatic and transfer into a small bowl for later use. 
• Leave enough garlic oil in the pan to stir fry mushroom, dried shrimps, sausage and char siew separately until aromatic.  Set aside.
• Then using some of the garlic oil, stir fry yam with salt and pepper for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• With some garlic oil, stir fry drained rice with the seasoning until slightly translucent.  Transfer into rice cooker and add water (usual amount of water for 2 1/2 cups rice)  then pour all the fried ingredients on top of the rice and cook. 
• When the rice is cooked, add in the garlic oil and using a pair of chopsticks, fluff up the rice.
• Serve rice hot and garnish with fried shallots and spring onions. 

Kampar Chicken Biscuits ( 鸡仔餅)

Never would I imagine making my own 'Kai Chai Paeng' which originated from Kampar - a small town where I grew up.  One would be surprised to know that there is no chicken in the Chicken Biscuit!  But why the name Chicken Biscuit?  I still haven't found the answer to this question yet.  This thin and crispy savoury biscuit with a distinctive aroma is surprisingly easy to make. 

Recipe adapted from  At Home With Amy Beh ...



(A) Mix together:

300g plain flour, sifted
1/4 tsp baking soda, sifted
1/4 tsp baking powder, sifted
150g icing sugar, sifted 
120g crystalised melon (tung kwa), finely chopped
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
1/2 tsp mixed spice powder 
60g sesame seeds (lightly toasted) 


(B) - Mix together:

20g garlic, pounded
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
30g maltose (mak nga tong)
2 pieces of red fermented beancurd (nam yue), mashed
100ml cooking oil

• Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.  Line baking trays.
• In a big mixing bowl combine Ingredients (A) and (B) together  into a crumbly dough.  Cover the dough with clingwrap and let it rest for about 10 minutes. 
• Roll dough into small balls. Then place a ball in between two sheets of clingwrap and roll it flat.
• Transfer the thin dough onto prepared trays and bake for about 13 - 15 minutes or until golden brown.  
• Cool baked biscuits completely on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container.

Portobello Mushroom & Chorizo Pasta

A quick stir fry of sliced portobello mushrooms and spanish chorizo (sausage with a distinctive smokiness flavour) with minced garlic tossed with spaghetti and baby spinach leaves.

Vegetables Dumplings (Chai Kuih)

A recipe from Amy Beh  (Chai Kueh) which is really easy to make and taste really delicious  ... a soft, chewy and translucent-like skin filled with chinese chives or yam beans best eaten with chilli sauce.

Skin:

300g wheat starch (Tang Mein Fun)
75g glutinous rice flour
150g tapioca flour
3/4 tsp salt
675 ml boiling water
9 tbsp cooking oil

• Sift flours into a mixing bowl and add in salt.
• Make a well in the centre and pour in boiling water; mix well to form a dough.
• Gradually work and knead in oil.  
• Roll dough into a long sausage and cut into small portions.  
• Lightly dust work surface with tapioca flour; then flatten each piece of dough into thin disc.  
• Fill with prepared fillings and pleat the edge of the skin tightly to form a dumpling.
• Steam dumplings under rapid boiling water for about 8 minutes.
• Brush dumplings with oil.

Fillings:

(A)
about 300g yam bean, shredded
a small carrot, shredded
2 cloves garlic
50g dried shrimps, chopped coarsely
salt & pepper

• Saute garlic and dried shrimps until fragrant.  
• Add in shredded yam beans and carrot and stir fry until cooked.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Set aside to cool.

(B)

350g chinese chives, cut finely

50g dried shrimps

2 cloves garlic

salt & pepper

• Saute garlic and dried shrimps until fragrant.  Add into chives and season with salt and pepper.