Orh Nee (Yam Paste) 芋泥 by Angela Seah Thulin

A traditional teochew dessert served in chinese restaurants and/or during chinese weddings. I'm away from Singapore yet i can have this in Sweden... I'm never far from home it seems. 

I like my orh nee with a little coconut taste in but not pumpkin. The creamy, thick, sticky and sweet orh nee is perfect together with the gingko nuts ... 

Not difficult to make - just steam, mash or blend and then cook it.

*Sweetness is entirely up to you, I used more than one pc of the bing tang/rock sugar boiled in 500ml water. I add ginkgo nuts in to the water together with pandan leaves and boil together.
*I don't like pumpkin so my total taro I used was 700g. 
*For thicker result, use less water ie.300ml.


Ingredients -

500g taro (slice thinly or cut in cube) 
300g pumpkin (cut into cube)
500ml water boil with one big piece of rock sugar (冰糖) + 3 pcs of pandan leaves tied together. 
Gingko (your choice of amount)
150ml coconut milk 
4 tbsp shallots oil

Directions - 

1)  Steam taro and pumpkin for 25 minutes or till very soft. Then use a fork/potato masher to mash it while it's still hot and set aside. Using a processor will get a smoother paste. 
2) Heat wok and add 3 tbsp shallots oil, add the mashed mixture in, stir fry the mixture over medium low. Stir continuously until taro and oil are well combined. (add 1 tbsp shallot oil if it's not combining). 
3) Reduce heat and add in the rock sugar water gradually n keep stirring till taro paste becomes smooth and paste-alike consistency.
4) Still in low heat - Add coconut milk in gradually and stir till well-combined. 
5) Top with gingko. 

Note - Do not consume too many gingko nuts (1-3 a day) as they can be toxic in larger doses especially for younger kids.

Dark Chocolate Chiffon Cake by Angela Seah Thulin

I was doing grocery when i spotted this bar of chocolate. Thinking i could probably use it to bake dark chiffon cake, i decided to give it a try!. I was tremedously happy when this chocolate chiffon cake turn out so well. The dark chocolate's rich taste, the right sweetness and the soft texture follow by a hint of raspberry flavour ... I took 2 slices straight after i cut them. Love them to the max!

Dark Chocolate Chiffon Cake (with a hint of raspberry flavour) by Angela Seah Thulin

Cocoa Batter -
150g Chocolate (70%), break into pieces
90ml water
100g corn oil
25g cocoa powder, sifted
65g cake flour, sifted
1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
115g egg yolks (its about 6 large egg yolks)

Egg White Batter - 
225g egg white (its about 6 large egg white)
115g granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

Method:

1. Using double boil method, melt the chocolate and stir till smooth. Then add in corn oil slowly, continue stirring at the time till smooth. Then stir/fold in the rest of the ingredients and stir till smooth.
2. Using a hand mixer, whisk the egg white with cream of tartar till frothy, then add sugar in gradually follow by adding in the salt. Whisk till you achieve soft peak.

3. Fold the egg white into the egg yolk mixture and then pour into a 23" to 25" round chiffon cake pan.
4. Bake at 175degree celsius for about 45 mins or till cooked. I baked at 125degree celsius for 45mins.

*Every oven is different, please do adjust accordingly.

Recipe origin - Aunty Yochana 

http://auntyyochana.blogspot.se/2007/10/japanese-dark-pearl-cake.html

Honey Chicken Wings by Angela Seah Thulin

Honey Chicken Wings by Angela Seah Thulin

Recipe: 

1. Wash and rub 10 full chicken wings with some salt and rinse off. Then pat dry them.

2. Prepare plain flour 3/4 cup & corn flour 1/2 cup in a bowl. Mix them well.

3. Coat the wings with the flour and put them into fridge to air dry for 30mins.

4. Remove wings from fridge and let it rest for 15mins to room temperature then deep fry all of them. Set aside.

5. Heat up pan with 1/2 tbsp oil - add 2 tbsp oyster, 2 tbsp honey, 1.5 tbsp light soya sauce and 1 glove garlic (minced).

5. Add ready fried wings into this sauce and cook till wings are well coated with sauce or that sauce have slightly thicken. 

Drizzle sesame seed (opt). Done!

Birthday 2015 - Chocolate cake

Yeppie! It's my birthday! 

A short clip of my birthday 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLJg6C3QOYc&feature=youtu.be

In Chinese Hokkien tradition - people like me - we serve mee sua when celebrating birthdays. Mee sua is a type of thin long salted noodles that signifies long life and it is usually cooked with chicken drumstick and two eggs. The two eggs symbolizes fertility and life. Since i will be dining out today, i cooked mee sua and baked a cake yesterday as a small celebration at home. Table for 3 at restaurant Kitchen & Table (New York inspired restaurant by celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson) at Malmö Live. 

The cake is moist, very rich in chocolate and with a hint of banana fragrance. It is super easy to bake and can be done within 1.5hrs.

Chocolate Banana Moist Cake by Angela Seah Thulin

Preheat oven to 170degree celsius

Part A
1 large egg
2 super riped banana, mashed
120ml milk
60ml heavy cream (34-36% fat)
60g melted butter
1 tbsp vanilla essence

Part B
180g brown sugar
130g cake flour, sifted
35g cocoa powder, sifted
3/4 teaspoon of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
50g chocolate chips

Part C
110g dark chocolate
160ml heavy cream (34-36% fat)
7g unsalted butter

Steps -
1. Melt the butter in the microwave and set aside to let it cool.
2. In a bowl, mix all the Part B together. Set aside.
3. In a big mixing bowl, add all the Part A in, mix well then add Part B in. I use a hand mixer and beat till all well combined.
4. Pour the batter onto a 23cm baking pan. 
5. Bake at 170 degree celsius for 25-28mins. For my oven, i baked at 160 degree celsius at 26mins. 
6. Let the cake cool before removing from the pan.
7.To make ganache - using double boil method to melt the chocolate, then stir in butter, then pour heavy cream to it, stir till well mixed. Ganache will thicken.
8. Pour on the cake top.

Done!

Baked on 16th Mar 2016

Recipe origin -
https://plus.google.com/108854154044884708244/posts/6XRwcCpw5Hp

 

Pan fried wings with chinese wolfberry by Angela Seah Thulin

This year's mid-autumn festival falls on a Sunday and here in Sweden we had a mini celebration at our balcony. With paper lanterns lit up, enjoying durian snowskin and baked lotus paste mooncake under the full moon with our jackets on, kind of funny yet fun. 

As i was out shopping earlier on, i only had time to prepare a simple dinner and tangyuan. 

For tangyuan, i made two flavours. One was the traditional tangyuan, cooked them with ginger and orange sugar in different colors.

Another was stuffed with chocolate chips into glutinous rice flour and cooked them. Surprisingly, my husband liked this more than my son. 

Ok, so here's our dinner - Pan fried wings with chinese wolfberry, simple and yummy.

Ingredients A (marinade) 

13 whole chicken wings 

1 tbsp of Hua Tiao jiu

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tsp of salt

1 tsp light soya sauce

1 tsp of white pepper

*wash the wings, cut them into 3 sections and throw the last ending sharp wings away. Pat dry them and marinate with the above preferably overnight (mine was 2hrs only)

Ingredients B (to pan fried)

1 cup water

1 tbsp oyster

1 tsp of light soya sauce

*add the above in a bowl, stir n mix well

2 tbsp wolfberry, rinsed

4-6 slices of dang gui (当归)

*Opt - 1/2 tbsp hua tiao jiu

Steps -

1. Take out the wings from fridge 30mins before cooking.

2. Heat up wok with 4 tbsp sesame oil, pan fry all the wings till lightly browned on both sides. Few minutes only.

3. Scoop up the wings, wipe off all the excess oil. 

4. Then same wok, heat up 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, pour back all the wings and add ingredients part B including wolf-berries & dang gui.

5. Let the gravy come to a boil. Then simmer the chicken wings for 30mins (medium to low heat) or until wings have cooked and sauce slightly thicken too. 

6. Optional - drizzle 1/2 tbsp hua tiao Jiu and off flames.

Serve!

Taro and sweet potato balls by Angela Seah Thulin

I love Taro and sweet potato balls! I fell deeply in love when i first had it in Taiwan during a holiday many years ago. Then they launched this in Singapore. Oh my! Not just me, even my husband is in love with it. We could have this every alternate day easily. Since now i've moved to Sweden, i have to make everything from scratch. My husband had a big portion right after his dinner. He was saying - I was craving for this so much! Mmmm...the chewiness of the yam with the cooling sweet grass jelly...

Easy recipe, not difficult but you need time to do it.

Taro and sweet potato balls with grass jelly dessert by Angela Seah Thulin

Ingredients- 

350g yam

130g tapioca starch 

1 tbsp caster sugar

60gm sweet potatoes 

25g tapioca starch, or more 

2 tsp caster sugar

Steps -

1. Peel, cut the yam and sweet potatoes into slices and steam till cooked. Est. 20minutes...

2. While yam is hot, mash it and mix in the tapioca starch using a ladle. Add sugar in. Then knead to form a dough. Add bit of water if needed. 

3. Roll it into a thin long log and cut. 

4. Repeat the same for sweet potatoes. 

5. You may freeze them if you do not want to cook all. Dust with some corn starch to avoid sticking together.

6. Prepare a cold icy water in a big bowl. 

7. To cook - in a pot of hot boiling water, add these in. Let it cook till float and then continue cooking for another 2 minutes. 

8. Transfer them to the cold water immediately. 

Yam, sweet potatoes in orange and yellow color

9. Assemble with grass jelly and done! 

Notes - sweet potatoes are quite moist, you will likely need more tapioca starch. Do not add too much or keep adding them else it will be too chewy. If it's still too moist, let it rest aside and it will slightly harden otherwise place the dough into microwave for ten seconds or so. 

I bought these bubble pearls and boiled them myself :)

Chocolate Chips Chiffon cake by Angela Seah Thulin

Chocolate Chips Chiffon cake by Angela Seah Thulin

Ingredients A -

5 egg yolks
3 tbsp granulated sugar
100g cake flour, sifted + 1/2 tsp baking soda (combine them)
90g chocolate
1 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
40ml water or chocolate milk
3 tbsp oil
4 tbsp chocolate chips 

Ingredients B -
5 egg whites
4 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Steps for ingredients A -
1. Using double boil method, melt the chocolate and stir till smooth. Then add the oil in and stir to well mixed and smooth.
2. Using a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar till light and frothy. 
3. Transfer no. 1 to no. 2. Add the water, cocoa powder and cake flour in and beat till combined. 
4. Set aside.

Steps for ingredients B - 
1. In a clean metal bowl, using mixer, beat the egg whites till bubbles formed then add cream of tartar in. Continue beating then add sugar in slowly. Beat till stiff peak formed.

To assemble - 
1. Scoop half of the ingredients B into ingredients A and fold them in gently. Follow by the other half. Then gently fold the chocolate chips in.
2. Pour onto 21cm (i'm using a 23cm mould) pan and bake in preheated oven 140 degree celsius for 30 - 40 minutes or until its baked. 
3. Invert cake immediately and onto cooling rack until completely cooled.

Note - 
Just like me, my oven is pretty hot-tempered thus I baked at 125 degree celsius with foil covered for first 20 minutes and then another 28 minutes without. 

Pan-fried Prawn Omelette by Angela Seah Thulin

Another local Singaporean favorite - Oyster eggs (Orh Luak)  aka 耗蛋，耗煎 which is most commonly sold in Hawker Centers. This is the same cooking method but i used prawns instead of oysters. I like the crispiness at the sides combined with the soft and gooey texture. 

Video link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF8qFMjVcO0

(A)

100ml water

3 tbsp tapioca flour

1 tbsp rice flour

(B)

1 tbsp hua tiao jiu

1.5 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp light soya sauce 

2 large eggs 

2 tbsp oil

6 medium size prawns

I push it aside because i like the heat to focus on the prawns first.

Steps -

1. Mix (A) items altogether in a bowl. 

2. Mix (B) items altogether in a bowl.

3. Crack the two eggs and take 1 tbsp from (B) and beat to mix.

4. In a heated big pan, pour the oil in. Then add all of (A) in. Let it cook for a while until sides are slightly crispy. Then pour the eggs in. 

5. At the side of the pan, add the prawns in and drizzle 1 tbsp from the balance liquid from (B) onto the prawns and cook them. 

*discard the rest of the sauce.

6. Then join step 4 & 5 together and pan fried till your desired crispness. 

Garnish with coriander!

Hakka Yam Abacus Beads 客家算盘子 by Angela Seah Thulin

Hakka Yam Abacus Beads 客家算盘子is a traditional Hakka dish that is usually eaten during festivals.

For the yam abacus -

Ingredients:

350g yam

110g tapioca flour

Steps: 

1. Peel, cut the yam into slices and steam till cooked. Est. 20minutes...

2. While yam is hot, mash it and mix in the tapioca flour using a ladle. Do this while it is still hot. Then knead to form a pliable dough. Add bit of water if needed. I did not add water as i want to retain the strong yam taste, so this action of mixing and kneading it together must be fast. 
3. Roll it into a thin long log and cut. Then shape into a ball. Using my thumb, i give a gentle press down at the center. 

4. Prepare a cold icy water in a big bowl. 
5. To cook - in a pot with hot boiling water, add all these in. Let it cook till float and then continue cooking for another 2 minutes. 

6. Transfer them to the cold water immediately.
7. Drain them and coat with 2 tbsp of oil (to prevent them from sticking).

For stir frying -

Ingredients: 
Garlic, minced
Shallots
Carrots
Dried shrimps
Scallions
Chilli
Chinese mushrooms
Light soya sauce
White pepper
Bit of sugar

Steps:
1. In a heated wok with oil, cook the minced garlics, shallots and dried shrimps till fragrant.
2. Then add the carrots and mushrooms in till almost cooked.
3. Add the abacus beads and all the seasoning, stir fry to well mixed and add scallions/chilli in. Taste and adjust accordingly.
4. Dish up and garnish with more scallions and deep fried shallots.

Ee Fu Noodles by Angela Seah Thulin

Braised Ee fu noodles is one of my favourite noodle dishes! It is commonly found in Chinese restaurant menus, and especially served during Chinese weddings in Singapore. I'm always drooling for this dish when group Plate & Palate members share it. A cooking friend of mine (Flora) was very nice to courier two such noodle packets to me. Normally you will use straw mushrooms for this dish but since I couldn't find good ones in Sweden, I've replaced it with Chinese mushrooms. For the same reason, I also had to replace yellow chives with scallions. 

Ingredients - 

250g Yee fu noodles

1 tsp sesame oil 

1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

3 gloves garlic, minced

4 Chinese mushrooms, soaked and sliced (keep the water) 

3/4 tbsp hua diao jiu 

3 stalks of scallion, separate the white and green

Half carrot, cut into stripes 

Marinate meat (30mins)  - 

120g chicken breast meat, sliced

Light soya sauce

Pepper

Corn starch

Sauce - 

350ml mushroom water

1/2 chicken knorr cube

2 tbsp oyster sauce 

1/2 tbsp light soya sauce

Dash of pepper

Steps -

1. In a wok with vegetable oil, cook the garlic then add white part of the scallions, carrots, chinese mushrooms and chicken breast meat in. Cook till the meat turn opaque.

2. Add the sauce in, noodles and sesame oil. Give a stir and cover with lid. 

3. Stir upon opening. Noodles should have soften, gravy will be very little. Drizzle the hua tiao jiu at the sides. Add the green part scallions. Stir to well mixed and done.