Aiyu Jelly

爱玉

Aiyu jelly is a Taiwanese dessert that is soft and jiggly. It is sold in most Singapore dessert stalls as ice jelly (文头雪). We came across dried seeds of the jelly fig plant in our holiday in Taiwan and bought a packet. Now we can enjoy aiyu jelly dessert at home anytime.

Ingredients

8g dried aiyu fig seeds

500ml drinking water (not tap water)

Method

1.Put seeds in a fine mesh pouch and tie a knot at the top of pouch (leave 2 to 3 inches room for seeds to move around when you rub them later.)

2. Fill a clean mixing bowl with water. Submerge the pouch into the water and gently rub the aiyu seeds inside the pouch, like washing a towel, to release the pectin (the special element that creates the jelly texture) into the water. Rub for 5 minutes.

3. The water will turn light golden colour and the outside of the pouch will feel slightly slippery.

4. Remove the pouch from water and give it one last squeeze to release remaining pectin.

5. Put the mixing bowl in the fridge to allow the water to set. This takes about 2 to 3 hours.

6. While waiting, prepare honey lime syrup. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of honey in 2 tablespoons of warm water. Then squeeze one or two lime juice into this honey mixture.

7. Once the aiyu jelly has set,  scoop the jelly into serving bowls and top with honey lime syrup. 

8. As the aiyu jelly will start to release water after 1 day, it is best consumed within 2 days.

Prawn and Potato Stuffed Bittergourd

 

 

This is a really refreshing take at eating bittergourd. 

Ingredients (makes 16 pieces of stuffed bittergourd rings)

70g prawns (de-shelled and de-veined)

Bittergourd (cut into 1 cm rings)

1 large potato (250g, cut into small chunks)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Cooking Oil, enough for shallow frying

Method:

1. Cut bitter gourd into 1cm thick rings and rub with salt. Leave it for 15 mins (to reduce bitterness). Rinse away the salt thereafter and pat dry with kitchen towel.

2. Mince prawns by smashing each one with the back of cleaver, and shred scallops into strips.

3. Boil the potato in salted water until tender (can poke through with a chopstick), around 10 to 15minutes. Drain water and return the pot to the stove. On low heat, shake the pot to evaporate excess moisture from the potato. Turn off heat and mash the potato while they are hot. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Mix together minced prawns and mashed potato. 

6. Fill each ring with filling and compact it gently. Fry in medium high heat oil till browned, about 2 to 3 minutes a side.

7. For excess filling, make patties/croquette. Shape the filling into patties, lightly coat with plan flour, dredge them through beaten egg, coat with panko (bread crumps) and deep cry untiĺ crispy. Drain off excess oil before serving.

Candied Orange Peel

自制糖渍橙皮

Made my own candied orange peels to add to my bakes. The steps below can be used to make other citrus peels like grapefruit and lemon.

Ingredients:

500g orange peels (from 5 large Navel oranges)

sugar syrup (250ml water + 100g sugar)

Method:

1. Wash the oranges and remove the skin.

2. Soak the peels in a pot of water for at least 12 hours to remove the bitterness. Drain the water and top up with fresh water, sufficient to cover the peels. Boil the peels for 5 minutes, then discard the water. Repeat this process one more time. Drain the water and set aside the peels to cool down. Once cooled, cut the peels into 1cm strips.

3. Prepare sugar syrup. Boil 100g sugar in 250ml water until the sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat down and put in the orange peels. Simmer until peels are tender and the syrup has reduced and almost gone. Stir occasionally to prevent syrup from getting burnt. Let the peels sit in pot for 1 minute. 

4. Transfer the peels to a rack and sun dry until the peels harden slightly, about 2 to 3 days. 

day 1 of sun drying

after 3 days of sun drying

5. Store the peels in airtight container in the fridge.

Pork Satay

沙爹

Satay is one of our favourite hawker dishes but they don't come cheap nowadays (1 stick 90cents@ Nov 2024). A lot of preparation is required to make the rempah (spice paste) but the end result is truly special and worth the effort. 

Below recipe is after a few trial and error of making our own satay and developing the taste we enjoy. The rempah is the key to great tasting satay. We prepared our own rempah which comprises 20% spices and 10% sugar over the weight of meat. 

Ingredients

1 kg of pork (preferred cut:  不见天 or 边肉)

5g salt 

Rempah/Spice paste ingredients (20% of weight of pork):

60g lemon grass (around 4  stalks, tender part only, slice thinly)

60g galangal / blue ginger (peeled and sliced thinly)

60g shallots (peeled)

20g fresh tumeric (peeled and sliced thinly)

100g sugar (10% of weight of pork)

Method

1. Slice pork into 3cm x 2cm x 1cm (thick) pieces.

2. Marinate the pork with salt for at least 3 hours.

3. Make rempah for meat. Put all ingredients into a stone mortar and pound until they break down. You can transfer to a blender and blend until you get a smooth paste. Add the rempah to the pork. Mix well and marinate for at least 24 hours.

4. Add sugar to the pork, mix well and chill in fridge for 24 hours.

5. On the day of grilling the satay, soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least half an hour. Skewer the meat.

6. Prepare the charcoal stove. Lightly brush the skewers with oil before grilling. Grill until the satay meat turns golden brown and slightly charred. Serve with cucumbers and big onions.

Curry Chicken

咖哩鸡

Old school creamy curry chicken with minimal ingredients yet flavourful and tasty. Best of all, it is not spicy, which my family enjoys. I love to eat curry chicken with white bread and wiping the curry gravy with the bread. 

Ingredients

4 whole chicken leg (about 1kg), chopped into 3 parts

3 medium sized potatoes (cut into chunks)

1.5 teaspoon salt

2 large shallots (finely chopped)

2 large garlic cloves (finely chopped)

3 lemon grass, 4 inch from base, lightly smashed (optional)

1 sprig of curry leaves (optional)

40g curry paste (I've tried A1 and Ikan brands, both are good) or 

3 tbsp meat curry powder, mixed with 3- 4 tbsp water into a paste

300ml water

100g coconut milk

Method

1. Marinate chicken with salt for 30 minutes.

2. Heat wok with oil and fry garlic and shallots until fragrant.

3. Add curry paste and stir fry a little, until the oil releases from the curry paste. Toss in lemongrass and curry leaves at this step if using.

4. Add chicken and stir fry until the chicken skin is just cooked.

5. Add 2 tablespoons of coconut cream (upper layer of coconut milk) and cook until the milky colour disappears (i.e. milk has turned to oil).

6. Add water to chicken and bring it a boil. 

7. Add potatoes, mix with the chicken, lower heat to medium-low and cover the wok to simmer.  Stir ocassionally to prevent bottom burning.

8. Simmer until potatoes are tender and the curry gravy has reduced, around 20minutes. Once ready, you can smell the curry chicken aroma in your kitchen!

9. Add salt and the remaining coconut milk. Stir in the coconut milk gently. Off the heat.

10. Dish up and serve with rice or bread (my favourite!).

Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee

 炒福建虾面

Ingredients (serves 4 to 5 pax):

500g fresh large prawns 

500g lean pork 

1 piece of fresh squid

500g fresh yellow noodle

70g rice vermicelli (bee hoon)

1 bundle of chives (cut into 3cm short strips)

2 eggs

2 garlic cloves (chopped finely)

1 litre water

Method:

1. Soak the rice vermicelli with water until softened, around half an hour. Drain and set aside.

2. Wash, clean and de-vein prawns. Keep the prawn heads and shells to make stock.

3. Wash and clean the squid. Slice the squid into 1cm thick rings. 

4. In a hot wok, add 1 tablespoon oil and fry the prawn shells and heads until fragrant. Add 1 litre water, bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes. Sieve the stock to remove the prawn shells and head. 

5. Place the lean pork into the stock and boil over medium heat for 30 minutes. Then take out the pork, sprinkle 2 teaspoons of salt over the cooked pork and let it cool down. Once cooled, cut the pork into thin slices.

6. Blanch the prawns and squids in the stock for 5 minutes.

7. Season the stock with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon fish sauce.

8. Heat up wok over high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil, then crack the eggs into the wok. Quickly scramble the eggs. 

9. Add the yellow noodle and rice vermicelli. Stir fry the noodles in a circular motion for a few minutes. 

10. Push the noodles to the side of the wok, add 1 teaspoon of oil and fry the garlic for a few seconds.

11. Mix the noodles with the garlic, add 4 to 5 big ladles of prawn stock and stir fry the noodles in circular motion. Cover the wok, lower heat to medium and braise the noodles for a few minutes.

12. Add the prawns, squids, pork slices and chives into the wok and fry with the noodles.  

13. Dish up the noodles and serve with sambal chilli, lime and crispy pork lard.