Kerabu Bihoon (Rice Vermicelli Salad)

Ingredients: 

400g rice vermicelli (soaked in water until softened)
10 shallots, finely sliced
1/2 cup lemon juice (approx)
2 tbsp sugar
150g dried shrimps (washed and chopped)
200g prawns (shelled and deveined)
2 tbsp finely chopped torch ginger flower (bunga kantan)
3 tbsp dessicated coconut, light toasted and pound
3 tbsp fried shallots
1 small cucumber, julienned
1 small carrot, julienned
some mint leaves, shredded
some coriander leaves, chopped


Dressing:
100ml lemon juice
1/2 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
1/2 tbsp salt
6 tbsp fish sauce (or to taste)
6 tbsp sambal belacan
3 tbsp fried shallot oil

• Blanch vermicelli  in a pot of boiling water.  Drain and rinse under cold running water,  then drain well.  Set aside.
• Marinade finely sliced shallots in lemon juice and sugar.  Set aside.
• With 1 tbsp of oil, stir-fry dried shrimps until fragrant and pound.  Set aside.
• Fry or boil prawns until cooked.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients together and toss well to mix. 
• Serve immediately.

Vanilla Chiffon Cake

A recipe taken from Okashi Sweet Treats Made With Love by Keiko Ishida with slight modification.


Ingredients: (for a 20cm chiffon)

(A)
5 egg yolks
20 sugar
60g oil
70g soy milk
70g cake flour
1 vanilla pod (scrape the vanilla bean out)
pink colour gel

(B)
5 egg whites
85g caster sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

• Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.
• Beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale.  Gradually add in oil, water and vanilla bean. Beat until well combined.
• Sift flour into a mixing bowl.  Gradually whisk in the egg yolk  mixture in a slow and steady stream.
• In another bowl, beat egg whites until foamy, add in cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form.  Gradually add in sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the flour/egg yolk mixture in 3 batches. 
• Divide the batter into two lots and add in colour.
• Pour batter into an ungreased tube pan. 
• Bake for about 45 minutes or until cook.
• Remove cake from the oven and invert the pan to cool.
• Unmould the cake when it is completely cool.

Red Duck Curry With Lychees

Ingredients:

3 duck drumsticks (about 650g), cut into 3 pieces
100ml lychee syrup
1 cup water (approx)
about 10 drained canned lychees
oil
fish sauce, to taste
150ml coconut cream
1 lime juice 
3 kaffir lime leaves
coriander leaves, for garnishing


Grounded Ingredients:
2 tbsp chilli powder
150g shallots
50g garlic
40g tumeric
40g galangal
2 stalks of lemongrass
5 candlenuts
4 coriander roots

• In a frying pan, over medium heat,  fry the duck, skin-side down for about 5 minutes to render the fat.  Turn over and fry lightly to brown the duck.  Transfer onto a plate and set aside.
• Reduce heat and add about 1 tbsp of oil into the pan.  Stir fry the grounded ingredients until aromatic; add about 1/4 cup coconut cream and bring to the boil.  
• Add in duck, water and lychee syrup.  Bring to the boil and simmer until duck is tender. Stir occasionally. 
• Add in the remaining coconut cream, lychees and kaffir lime leaves.  Season with fish sauce and lime juice.
• Serve hot with steamed rice.

Wholemeal Multi Seed Bread

Adapted from Corner Cafe's Scalded Dough

Ingredients:

Scalded dough:

150g wholemeal flour

115g boiling water
45g water (room temperature)

• Add boiling water into the flour and mix with a wooden spoon to form a dough.  Rest for 5 minutes.  Then gradually add in the room-temperature water and mix into a pasty dough.   Cover with a clingfilm and set aside to cool.   Refrigerate for 1 hour (I left mine in the refrigerator overnight).

Main Bread dough:

300g bread flour
150g wholemeal flour

150g plain flour

60g caster sugar
1½  tbsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp LSA (ground linseed, sunflower seed and almond)
2 tbsp black chia seeds
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
2 tbsp pepitas

2 eggs, lightly beaten

110ml cold water/milk
155g natural yoghurt /Greek yoghurt
2 tsp salt

90g Rice Bran oil

• In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine flours, sugar, yeast, LSA, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pepitas and egg together.  Add in the scalded dough, then gradually add in the water/milk and yoghurt to form into a slightly sticky soft dough.  Add in salt and continue to knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).
• Add in oil gradually and continue to knead until fully incorporated.  
  [At this stage, the dough should be able to stretch to form a window-like thin membrane without breaking - Windowpane Test].
• Shape the dough  into a smooth ball and place in a greased  bowl.  Cover with lightly oiled clingfilm.  Then place it in a warm, moist and draught-free place to allow the dough to rise until at least double or nearly triple its original size.
  [To determine if the dough has risen long enough, poke a floured finger into the  dough.  When you remove your finger, the dough shouldn't spring back at all.  If the dough springs back immediately, it is under-proved and needs more time to proof further.]
• Once the dough has doubled in size, press down gently on the dough to deflate it.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface, divide it into 3 equal pieces.  Roll them into balls. Let them rest for 15 minutes.
• Working with one piece at a time, flatten the dough into a rectangle.  Roll the dough into a tight cylinder, tucking the dough under itself as you go.  Pinch the seam at the end to close. 
• Place the loaf, seam side down, in one of the greased loaf pans.  Repeat with the second and the third piece of dough.  Loosely cover with lightly oiled clingfilm and let them rise until just about doubled in size.
• Preheat oven to 190 degrees C.
• Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove the pans to a wire rack and brush the top with butter.  Let the bread cool for 5 minutes before turning out the loaves onto the rack and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing.

Gluten development is tested with the "Windowpane Test".  Pinch a small piece of dough and stretch it into a thin membrane without it breaking and that means the dough is sufficiently kneaded and is ready to rise.  

Vegetarian Steamed Buns

Adapted from here.

Ingredients:

300g plain flour, sifted
90g wheat starch, sifted
2 tsp yeast
50g caster sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
180ml lukewarm water
 3 tbsp Rice Bran oil
2 tsp baking powder + 10ml cold water

• Combine together plain flour, wheat starch, sugar and yeast in the mixing bowl of an electric stand mixer attached with dough hooks.
• Pour in lemon juice and lukewarm water.  Knead until combined.
• Add in oil and knead until the dough is soft and smooth.
• Cover the dough with damp cloth or clingfilm and leave it in a warm place to rise until it is doubled in size.  
• Dissolve baking powder in cold water and sprinkle over the dough.  Knead well to combine.  (Note:  Make sure that the baking powder is fully dissolved and kneaded well into the dough, otherwise there will be yellowish spots on the steamed buns).
• Divide the dough into 13 equal portions (about 50g each). Roll each piece into a ball and cover with a damp cloth.  Rest for 10 minutes.
• Flatten the dough, wrap about a tablespoon of filling in the centre.  Pleat the dough to seal.  Place it on a square baking paper  and rest for 10 minutes before steaming.
• Arrange buns on a steamer, leaving a gap between the buns.  Spray water mist over buns.  
• Steam in a preheated steamer on high heat for 12 - 13 minutes. (Note:   Add several drops of white vinegar into the steaming water to produce whiter buns).
• Remove buns from steamer and cool on a wire rack.

Fillings:

500g jicama (yam bean), juliened
50g dried shrimps, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
oil
2 tsp cornflour + 1 tbsp water  (thickener)

• Heat oil and saute the garlic and dried shrimps until aromatic.
• Add in jicama and fry until soft.
• Season with salt and lots of white pepper.  Add in cornflour mixture to thicken.
• Set aside to cool.