Rice Paper Chicken

~ Chicken pieces marinated with aromatic Indian shallots and ginger juice, and cooked in its own parcels. 

Jee Pow Kai meaning "Paper wrapped chicken" is a popular dish among diners in many restaurants and eateries in Malaysia. Brought by migrating Chinese to Malaya at the turn of the last century, the original recipe had endured the test of time although inventive cooks often add other ingredients these days.

Some were known to wrap the chicken pieces with aluminium foil instead of rice paper. Since the chicken pieces are to be deep fried, I'm not a big fan of this material as it might release harmful vapours or oxides into the food. Moreover, the use of shiny aluminium foil as a wrapper tends to diminish the rustic and romantic appeal of this fabulous dish.

I prefer the traditional recipe consisting of only chicken pieces and the use of rice paper or oven baking paper or baking parchment for the parcels.

Want to give this a go? Check out my mum's Rice Paper Chicken recipe. Please leave a comment or provide your valuable feedback in the Comment box. For more recipes and food posts, please visit Malaysian Cuisine

Nyonya Kuih Dadar

~ Coconut crepe with caramelised palm sugar and roasted coconut shavings

 This highly aromatic snack is one of my all time favourites right from  my childhood days. The greenish colour of the crepes is derived from natural Pandan (Screw Pine) leave extracts, that also gives it a delightful fragrance.  It is important to use freshly extracted Pandan juice, otherwise the aroma will not come through the crepes. 

Coupled with the tasty caramelised roasted coconut filling, you can easily get hooked on this delightful morsel, and be back for more.

Follow this link for a fabulous Kuih Dadar recipe. Please leave a comment or provide your valuable feedback in the Comment box. For more recipes and food posts, please visit Malaysian Cuisine

Bitter melon & beef fillet on rice noodles

~ Crunchy bitter melon and tender beef fillet on a bed of sauteed aromatic flat rice noodles; Works well with Chicken fillet too

This is definitely one of my top lunch menu choices. I will often order this dish when it is on offer in the restaurants and eateries we frequent.

However, the quality of the finished product varies significantly depending on the restaurant or even among different chefs from the same restaurant. So, I decided to make my own. A friend commented that my dish looked yummier than what I had at the restaurant. Well, I'll have to agree with her <laugh>.

The beef should be seared in a very hot wok but left slightly pink, and the melon should not be over-cooked but left crunchy. This is a simple dish to make and yet it has sophisticated flavours for the discerning palate. The sweetness of the beef is accentuated by the slight bitterness of the melon. I'm salivating even as I compose this post.

This dish can also be served as part of a main meal with steaming hot rice instead of noodles.

Check out my Bitter Melon & Beef Noodles recipe. Please leave a comment or provide your valuable feedback in the Comment box. For more recipes and food posts, please visit Malaysian Cuisine

Slow Cooked Abalone for Lunar New Year

~ Juicy and tender Abalone over a bed of Chinese greens

Abalone or Abs to those in the know, is a highly sought-after morsel for the discerning palate. When prepared well, the taste and texture of this mono-valve shellfish is heavenly. This dish is often featured at wedding banquets and other special occasions. So I thought it would be apt to served this up for our Lunar New Year dinner.  

Cooked in its own juices for many hours in a Crock pot, it does not need much seasoning or much of anything else really, although I added a dash of Shaoxing wine to accentuate its excellent flavours. The whole house was filled with its wonderful aroma while the Abalone was being cooked.    

Check out my Slow Cooked Abalone recipe and give it a go! Please leave a comment or provide your valuable feedback in the Comment box. For more recipes and food posts, please visit Malaysian Cuisine

Lunar New Year Yee Sung

~ a delightful salad of julienne Daikon radish, carrots, cucumber, pomelo, green mango, fresh salmon strips and crunchy wonton skin

 A must-have for any Lunar New Year get-together with family and friends. It is customary for everyone at the table, armed with chopsticks, to participate in the "tossing ritual" known as Low Sung, meaning lively stir,  where all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed prior to being served.

Low in Chinese  means to mix or stir, but it can also mean business or personal venture. It is believed that the higher the salad is tossed, the more prosperity this new year will bring.

For more recipes and food posts, please visit Malaysian Cuisine

Chinese Broccoli & Beef Noodles Cantonese Style

~ Sliced beef fillet with crunchy Chinese Broccoli served with sauteed Rice noodles; Works well with Prawns or Chicken thigh fillet too

This is a dish I used to order when we visit one of my favourite restaurants. The family loved it so much that I decided to make this in my own kitchen. 

The secret of turning this dish into a tasty delight is just two simple things; The Hor Fun must be sauteed in a very hot wok so that you can taste the slightly smoked flavor. And the second thing is not to overcook the sliced beef fillet. It should be seared in a very hot wok but left slightly pink to retain its sweetness and tenderness. 

If you are not a big fan of Beef dishes, you can also use Prawns, Chicken thigh fillets or Chicken tender loins. I would advise against using Chicken breast fillets because they tend to dry-out when fried in a wok. Have fun in the kitchen. 

Click here for my Chinese Broccoli and Beef Noodles recipe. Please leave a comment or provide your valuable feedback in the Comment box. For more recipes and food posts, please visit Malaysian Cuisine

Seafood Noodles Cantonese Style

~ Crispy egg noodles with seafood and served in egg sauce

One of the most popular Cantonese noodle dishes, it is commonly eaten in restaurants and sidewalk cafes. Originated from Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province in China, it can be easily found throughout South-east Asia. This is a quick and easy dish to cook up and a sure hit with family and guests alike.

Click here for my Cantonese Seafood Noodles recipe. Please leave a comment or provide your valuable feedback in the Comment box. For more recipes and food posts, please visit Malaysian Cuisine

Daifuku Mochi

~ Japanese glutenous rice cake filled with sweetened Azuki bean paste and Pandan extract

This traditional rice cake is made during the Mochitsuki ceremony where rice is pounded to a paste using a wooden mallet called Kine and a mortar known as Usu. It is a two-person job where one turns the dough and the other hammers it repeatedly in a trance-like rhythm.

In Japan, Mochi is most commonly eaten during the first few days of the new year, but it can be bought all year round from grocery stores and supermarkets. You can also make an abridged version at home using a Microwave oven in just 30 minutes.

I've adapted the original recipe that makes white Mochi and use Pandan (Screwpine) extract to tint them green and also to incorporate the lovely Pandan aroma. You can also use other flavours such as Green Tea. 

Click here for my Daifuku Mochi recipe. Please leave a comment or provide your valuable feedback in the Comment box. For more recipes and food posts, please visit Malaysian Cuisine

Hakka Fung Char Gor

~ Chinese rice dumpling filled with shredded coconut roasted and caramelised sugar 

  

This traditional sweet rice dumpling is also known as Longevity Kuih. It is often featured as an offering to the Taoist god Tien Seen which means God of the Skies during thanksgiving rituals for seniors' birthdays. There will be one Fung Char Gor offered  for each year of life. I recall seeing 61 of these during my granny's 61st birthday celebration many years ago.

Although I've made this Orange in colour, they are traditionally coloured Red, the colour of happiness and prosperity in the Chinese culture. I've used an American-made Sunset Orange colour gel by MasterChef which I've picked up from a cake decoration supply shop recently.

Please leave a comment or provide your valuable feedback in the Comment box. For more recipes and food posts, please visit Malaysian Cuisine

Hakka Law Pet Barn

~ A savory glutenous rice dumpling filled with grated Daikon radish and Yam bean

  

This delicious dumpling is often eaten as a snack or served in a clear fish broth of green leafy vegetables for lunch.

Sadly, this is another traditional food that is fast disappearing from the marketplace. It is almost impossible to purchase them from the street vendors nowadays as the older generation leaves the trade.

Click here for my Law Pet Barn recipe. Please leave a comment or provide your valuable feedback in the Comment box. For more recipes and food posts, please visit Malaysian Cuisine