Lotus Root Soup

Ingredients:  (To serve  6-8 people)
1kg pork ribs
2 sections of lotus root (about 450g)
1 big arrowroot (粉葛) (about 400g)
1/2 cup peanuts, washed and soaked overnight
6 red dates
1 dried squid, cut into small pieces
salt & pepper, to taste
2.5 L water

• Wash and scrape off the skin from the lotus root.  Cut into slices.  
• Peel the skin off the arrowroot and cut into pieces.
• Boil a large pot of water, add in pork ribs and blanch for about 5 minutes.  Rinse the pork ribs and set aside.
• Place 2.5L water into the pot and bring to the boil.  Add in all the ingredients except salt and pepper.  Bring to the boil again over high heat.  Then lower the heat and simmer the soup for about 3 hours.
• Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Vegetarian Sambal Tumis

Blend together:
250g fresh red chillies, cut into pieces
7g turmeric, sliced
30g galangal, sliced
30g lemongrass, sliced
10g bunga kantan (torch ginger), sliced
1 cup water

Seasoning: (to taste)
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp sugar
1 tsp mushroom seasoning
1 tbsp lime juice (optional)

5 tbsp cooking oil

• Place water and all the ingredients into a blender and blend until fine.
• Transfer blended ingredients into a heated frying pan and cook on low heat, stirring continuously for about 5 minutes.  Then add in cooking oil and sugar.  Cook until sambal starts to turn a deeper red.
• Add in the rest of the seasoning.  Cook for another 15 minutes until oil separates from the chilli.
• Transfer sambal into a clean and dry glass container.  Keep it refrigerated.

Sponge Cupcakes

Recipe Source:  Nasi Lemak Lover

[Makes 13]

Ingredients: 
(A) Using large eggs
3 egg whites
65g icing sugar (I used 55g caster sugar + 5g rice flour  (sifted together)

(B)
3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
50g corn oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
65g self-raising flour (I used 65g plain flour + 1/2 tsp baking powder)

(C)
13 paper cups

• Preheat oven to 170 deg C.
• Using an electric beater, whisk egg white until foamy.  Gradually add in sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks formed.  Set aside.
• Using the same beater, beat egg yolks, whole egg and oil until light.  Then add in sifted flour and mix well to form a smooth and thick batter.
• Add 1/3 of the meringue into the egg yolk batter and stir to combine.  Then lightly fold in the rest of the meringue.
• Spoon the batter into the paper cups about 2/3 full and bake for about 30 minutes.
• Remove cupcakes from the oven and set them on a wire rack to cool.

Braised Yam With Mushroom

This dish actually tastes better than it looks.  It is usually cooked with dried shrimps but for a vegetarian dish, I substituted dried shrimps with mushroom.  You don't have to follow the recipe exactly, just follow your instincts. 

Ingredients:
about 400-500g yam, diced
60g golden mushroom meat (processed Monkey Head Mushroom)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 shallots, minced
1 stalk spring onion, finely cut, for garnishing
salt, sugar & pepper - to taste
cooking oil
enough water for braising

• Blanched the processed mushroom and drained.  Cut into smaller pieces.  
• Heat about 2 tbsp oil and lightly fry the taro cubes.  Remove and set aside.
• In the same frying pan, saute the shallots and garlic until fragrant.  Then add in the mushroom. Toss in the yam and fry.  
• Pour in enough water to cover the yam.  Bring to the boil and season with salt, sugar and pepper.  Lower the fire and simmer until yam is soft and gravy thickens.
• Season with more ground pepper if you wish.  Garnish with chopped spring onion and serve hot.

processed monkey head mushroom

Vegetarian Braised Yam and Bean Curd Skin (豆包）

I don't have an exact measurement for the ingredients in this recipe as I was just experimenting with this vegetarian version of Braised Yam with Pork Belly （芋头扣肉）。 After seeing and tasting the end result, surprisingly it wasn't bad at all; so I decided to share this dish with those who are interested.  To make the dish look more appealing, invert the steamed yam and 'dou bao' onto a plate lined with lettuce leaves and garnish with chopped coriander leaves before serving. 

Ingredients:

1/2 a yam, sliced into 8-10mm thick

1 pack (300g) of bean curd skin (fresh soy chip / 豆包), squeezed dry

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 shallots, minced

small knob of ginger, minced

cooking oil

sesame oil

Sauce: (Please adjust seasoning to taste)

1 cup water

1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp red yeast rice paste (or red fermented bean curd - "nam yue")

a little rock sugar 

pepper

• Fry the yam pieces and bean curd skin ('dou bao') until light brown.  Set aside.
• With a little oil and sesame oil, stir fry minced ginger, shallots and garlic.  Then add in sauce and boil until sugar dissolved.  Set aside to cool slightly.
• Coat fried yam pieces and 'dou bao' with sauce and arrange neatly in a bowl.  Pour remaining sauce over the yam and 'dou bao'. Cover with a plate.  Steam for about 1 hour or until yam is soft.
• Invert the steam yam and 'dou bao' onto a plate and serve.