Mixed Vegetables Curry

Ingredients: (approximately)


200g cabbage, cut into pieces
100g okras, ends trimmed
3 sticks bean curd sticks (soaked until softened, cut into pieces)
1 carrot, sliced
100g eggplant, cut into chunks
100g tofu puffs
200g cauliflower
150g button mushrooms
3 tomatoes
20 fishballs (optional)
400ml coconut cream + 1 cup water (or stock)
salt, fish sauce & sugar to taste

Pounded Ingredients:  

3 tbsp chilli paste
150g shallots
50g garlic
40g tumeric
40g galangal
3 stalks lemongrass
6 candlenuts
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 tbsp dried shrimps, washed and soaked to soften

• Heat oil in a deep saucepan; fry the grounded ingredients until fragrant. Add water and bring to the boil.
• Add cabbage, carrot, beancurd sticks, tofu puffs and mushrooms. Cover pan and cook until carrot pieces are tender. Add in coconut cream and the rest of the ingredients.

Fried Glass Noodles

Ingredients:

200g glass noodles (also known as bean thread or cellophane noodles) - soaked till softened
250g minced pork
60g dried shrimps (washed and chopped coarsely)
50g dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked until softened - shredded
3 shallots-sliced finely
5 cloves garlic - minced
500g bean sprouts
spring onions - garnishing
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
5 tbsp cooking oil

Sauce: (mixed all together)

2 cups water
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chicken stock granules (optional)

Seasoning - to marinate minced pork:

1/2 tbsp cornflour
1/2 tbsp cooking wine
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
dash of pepper

• Heat sesame oil with 2 tbsp cooking oil in a wok.  Add in shallots and garlic and stir fry until fragrant.  Transfer into a bowl and set aside.
• With about 2 tbsp of oil, stir fry dried shrimps and then mushrooms.  Set aside.
• Heat about 1 tbsp oil in the wok, stir fry the marinated minced pork with half the fried shallots/garlic until it changes colour.  Transfer into a bowl and set aside.
• Pour sauce into the work and bring to the boil.  Add in noodles and put in the cooked meat, dried shrimps, mushrooms and the rest of the shallots/garlic. 
• Toss and fry and noodles until the sauce dries up.  Add in bean sprouts and toss until well combined.
• Dish out the noodles and garnish with spring onions.

Pandan-Kaya Swiss Roll

I must admit that I am hopeless in making swiss rolls.  This is my third attempt and I am still not satisfied with the results. Is my cake too thin?  Maybe I should use a 4-eggs recipe so that I can get a bigger roll?  

Ingredients:
(A) 
3 egg yolks
45g caster sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

(B)
3 egg whiltes
45g caster sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

2 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut milk
pandan extract
50g self-raising flour
10g corn flour

Filling:  Home-made kaya
            1/2 cup fresh cream + 2 tbsp sifted icing sugar

• Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.  Line a 31.5 x 23 cm swiss roll pan with baking paper.
• (A) Beat egg yolks, sugar and cream of tartar until smooth and creamy.  Then beat in vanilla extract and oil, followed by coconut milk.
• Sift flours into a mixing bowl.  Gradually whisk in the egg yolk mixture.
• (B) In another bowl, beat egg whites until frothy, then add in cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form.  Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff.
• Fold the beaten egg whites into the flour/egg yolk mixture.
• Pour batter into pan and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Turn the cake onto a piece of baking paper.
• Meanwhile, whip fresh cream with icing sugar until stiff.  Keep in the fridge.
• Once the cake is cool, spread coconut jam on the cake, then spread the whipped cream.  Roll it up.
• Chill in the fridge before serving.

Vietnamese Prawns & Glass Noodles Salad

Dressing:


1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp honey
50ml lemon juice
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
4 tbsp fish sauce
1 chilli, finely minced
1/2 tsp finely minced garlic

• To make the dressing, simply combine all the ingredients together.  Extra dressing can be stored in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator for about a week.

Salad:

200g glass noodles (also known as bean thread or cellophane noodles)
2 tomatoes, cut into cubes
400g cooked prawns, shelled and deveined
1 cucumber, cut into cubes
coriander leaves, chopped
3 tbsp dried shrimps, washed and soaked
roasted peanuts (chopped)

• Marinate the prawns in the dressing.
• Meanwhile soak the glass noodles until soft.  Then quickly boil for a few minutes.  Plunge the noodles into cold water and drain before use. Cut the noodles into shorter lengths if desired.
• In a frying pan without oil, lightly toast the dried shrimps. 
• In a large mixing bowl, toss all the ingredients together with the dressing.  Sprinkle some chopped peanuts over the salad before serving.