Steamed Bun (Gold Ingot Shape)

蒸元宝

CNY Day 9 is the most important day to the Hokkiens who celebrate by praying to the Heavenly Jade Emperor. I came up with this recipe to make gold ingot shaped steamed buns so that my mother can use them in her celebration.

65g plain flour

10g wheat starch

1/4 tsp instant yeast

8g brown sugar, x2 15g

10g cold milk, x2 22g

1g vegetable cooking oil 

40g pumpkin puree (660g pumpkin can make 300g puree.)

pinch of salt

Method:

1. Cut baking paper into small pieces of 10cm x 10cm. 

2. Prepare pumpkin puree: Remove the pumpkin skin and seeds, then cut into cubes and steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Mash the pumpkin and set aside to cool.

3. Put all ingredients except oil and salt into the mixing bowl and use dough scrapper to combine before using hand to knead into a dough. Cover the dough and rest for 15 minutes. Then add the oil and knead until the dough is soft, smooth and elastic. Do not knead for too long as the bun will be chewy. Form a ball and proof the dough (covered with cling wrap) for 15 minutes.

4. Punch down the dough and knead until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into equal pieces (around 40g each), form a ball then roll into a small thick log (about 3inch long). Use the index and middle fingers on both hands to press the two ends of the log simultaneously. Fold the ends upwards and gently form the ingot shape. Place it on a piece of baking paper. Repeat this process for rest of the dough. Refer to video. Place the shaped buns in a steamer rack and proof for 20 minutes. 

 

5. Once 20 minutes is up, turn the heat on the steamer up. When steam comes out of the steamer, reduce heat to medium and continue to steam for another 10minutes. Do not open the steamer lid during steaming as the buns will collapse. Once steaming is done, do not open the lid immediately. Let the buns rest in the steam for 5 minutes. 

6. The buns taste good even on their own. Re-steam for 5 minutes before serving if you like. 

Steamed Orange for Cough Relief

蒸橙子

Steamed orange is a natural and gentle remedy to relieve cough, sore throat and reduce phelgm. I usually prepares this for my family members who come down with sore throat, flu and cough. 

Ingredient

1 orange

1 to 2 pinches of salt

Method

1. Wash the orange.

2. Cut the top of the orange and sprinkle salt into it. Use a sharp knife of fork to push the salt into the orange.

3. Cover the top of the orange and put the orange in a small vessel (bowl or cup). Place the vessel in a steamer and steam over medium heat for 15 minutes.

4. Remove the vessel from the steamer. Eat the orange and drink the water in the vessel while it is warm.

Steamed Chicken

白斩鸡

We cook this steamed chicken dish every fortnight as it is so easy to prepare.

Ingredients

1 kampong chicken

1 tablespoon salt (to clean chicken)

1 tablespoon salt (to marinate chicken)

Thumb sized ginger

Method

1. Clean chicken, rub salt all over the skin and wash away the salt. Dab chicken dry with kitchen towel.

2. Apply salt all over chicken including cavity and air dry chicken for at least 3 hours.

3. Prepare steamer and fill it up with sufficient water for steaming to last 45minutes.

4. Grate ginger.

5. Place chicken on a big plate, and put the plate in the steamer. Steam at low heat for 45minutes. If chicken is small (1kg or less), steam 30minutes.

5. After steaming, let the chicken rest in the steamer 15 minutes. Take some chicken juice from the plate and add to the ginger.

6. Debone the chicken and serve with sliced cucumbers. Keep the chicken bones/carcass in freezer to make chicken stock.

Steamed minced pork with salted egg

 咸蛋蒸肉饼

This dish is very easy to prepare and goes very well with plain rice.

Ingredients:

300g minced pork

2 eggs

1 salted egg

Warm water (volume = weight of eggs)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon cooking wine

Dashes of white pepper

3 water chestnuts (optional) - I replaced with Ngaku arrowhead tubers (慈菇) which are readily available in markets as it is Chinese New Year.

Method:

1. Add all ingredients except water chestnuts (if using) and lightly beat with a pair of chopsticks or fork until thoroughly mixed.

2. Add in water chestnuts, if using and beat the mixture again.

Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish/plate.

3. Bring water in wok or steamer to boil. Place the pork in the wok/steamer and steam for 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Garnish with spring onions and serve.

Cantonese Steamed Glutinous Rice with Chicken (Lo Mai Kai)

糯米鸡

My late mother-in-law used to prepare this dish for our breakfast. 

Ingredients (makes 8 bowls):

4 cups (580g) glutinous rice

500g chicken meat (from thigh, breast, drumstick)

2 pieces of dried shiitake mushrooms

3 pieces of dried scallops (optional)

3 cloves garlic

Marinade for rice:

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

Marinade for chicken (can include pork belly):

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon sesame oil

dashes of white pepper

2 teaspoon corn flour

Method:

1. Soak glutinous rice for 4 hours. Drain thereafter and marinate rice. Discard the soaking liquid.

2. Soak mushroom for 1 hour to re-hydrate, squeeze out water from the mushrooms and cut into small pieces. Retain the soaking liquid. Soak the scallops too if using, and similarly retain the soaking liquid for use later. 

3. Marinade chicken for 1 hour.

4. Mince garlic and fry until fragrant. Add the rice and stir fry for 1 minute under low heat. Set aside.

5. Top up the water for soaking mushrooms (and scallops) with more water to make up 250ml. 

6. Place chicken, mushroom and scallop (if using) into the bottom of individual bowl. Fill up the bowl (to 3/4 full) with glutinous rice and use the back of the spoon to gently press down the rice. Add 2 tablespoons of water (from step 5) into each bowl until water almost cover the top of the rice.

7. Steam the glutinous rice bowls under medium-high heat for 1 hour. Check water in the steamer and top up water accordingly.

8. Invert the bowls to turn over the rice onto a plate. Best serve hot!

Orh Kueh (Steamed Yam/Taro Cake)

芋头糕

I love to eat yam cake but store bought ones hardly have any yam inside. Here is my homemade yam cake recipe which is adapted from Kitchen Tigress and Lucinda Lau. It is packed with have lots of chunky yam pieces, mushrooms, dried shrimps and sometimes I added ginkgo nuts. So savoury and delicious, I can have it breakfast, lunch and tea break.

Ingredients

500-600g yam 

200g rice flour

45g tapioca flour (or wheat starch)

840ml water (including water for soaking dried shrimps and mushrooms)

20g dried shrimps

20g dried shiitake mushrooms

100g shallots

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Toppings: fried shallots, spring onions, red chilli, roasted white sesame seeds, coriander

Method

1. Line the steaming tray with parchment/baking paper (optional).

2. Soak dried shrimps for at least half hour. Chop the shrimps into smaller pieces. Retain the water for soaking dried shrimps.

3. Soak dried mushrooms until they are rehydrated. Squeeze the water from mushrooms, then thinly slice the mushrooms. Retain the water for soaking mushrooms. 

4. Mix the rice flour with tapioca flour in a mixing bowl. Add in 440ml of water and stir until you get a smooth mixture (i.e. no lumps), and set aside. 

5. Top up the water from soaking dried shrimps and mushrooms to make 400ml, and set aside. 

6. Cut the yam into small cubes. Note that yam contains calcium oxidase which causes skin irritation. If your skin is sensitive, you may want to wear gloves while handling yam.

7. Cut shallots into thin slices. Heat up wok and fry shallots over low heat until golden brown. Transfer the fried shallots to a plate.

8. Using the oil from frying shallots, fry garlic and dried shrimps over medium heat until fragrant. Add mushrooms and continue to stir fry. Add seasoning (1.5 tablespoon soy sauce and dashes of white pepper) and mix evenly. Add the yam cubes and fried shallots (keep 2 tablespoon as topping) into the wok and stir fry the yam for 2 to 3 minutes until the yam cubes are soft. Pour in 400ml of water (from step 5) and stir to combine. Bring to boil and simmer under low heat for 5 minutes. Turn off fire. Note: seasoning is deliberately light so as not to overpower the frangrance of yam)

9. Take the flour mixture (from step 4), stir it for a few seconds and pour it into the wok. Quickly stir to evenly mix the flour mixture with yam. The mixture will be very thick.

10. Transfer the yam to steaming pan and use spatula to level the mixture. Steam over high heat for 40minutes and remove from steamer when done. Check and top up water in wok/steamer accordingly. It is ready when you insert a skewer into the yam cake and it comes out almost clean. Cool down completely before cutting or un-moulding from pan.

11. Garnish with toppings (optional) and serve. 

Chawanmushi (Japanese savory egg custard)

茶碗蒸し

Adapted recipe from Just One Cookbook

Ingredients

3 eggs

Dashi/Chicken stock (2.5 x weight of eggs)

1 teaspoon mirin

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

Fillings (I put crabsticks, gingko nuts and carrot. You can add chicken or shrimps).

Garnish (I put parsley and dill)

1 spoonful of love

->  points to note on fillings:

° For gingko nuts, I use fresh/raw ones which I had earlier removed from its shells and frozen them for use in desserts/dishes. Boil the nuts for 5 mins and leave them in the pot to cook in residual heat).

° For chicken, you need to marinate with sake and salt, and pan fry until the sides are lightly browned before you use them as fillings.

Method

1. Prepare fillings, marinate them (for chicken and shrimps only) and place in cups/bowls. 

2. Lightly whisk eggs and make sure not to make the egg mixture frothy.

3. Add dashi/ chicken stock and seasoning (mirin, soy sauce, salt) to the eggs. Sieve the egg mixture through a fine mesh sieve so that the texture of the chawanmushi will be very smooth.

4. Pour the egg mixture into prepared cups/bowls. Remove bubbles on the surface of the egg mixture in the cups/bowls (this is to make sure the chawanmushi will be smooth). Cover the cups/bowls with aluminium foil (to prevent water from the steamer/wok/pot cover from dripping into the chawanmyshi).

5. Bring the water in steamer/wok/pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and place the cup/bowls on the steaming tray in the steamer/wok/pot. Steam for 20 mins and use a skewer to test whether the chawanmushi is set. It is done when when you insert a skewer into the egg mixture and it comes out clean.

6. Leave the cups/bowls in the steamer/wok/pot for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Note to self: 

To use only salt for seasoning to keep this dish even simpler. For 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon of salt should suffice.

Steamed Ginseng Chicken With Glutinous Rice

参须糯米鸡

My late mother in law used to cook this dish whenever there were family gatherings. The flavorful glutinous rice, tender chicken meat and the uplifting ginseng-infused chicken juices are so delicious.

Ingredients

1 kampong chicken (approx 1kg)

1 cup of glutinous rice

1 cup of water (for glutinous rice)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

20g ginseng beard

2 tablespoon goji berries (optional)

1 spoonful of love

Method

1. Wash glutinous rice and soak in 1 cup of water for 1 hour. After soaking, dissolve the salt and sugar in the water and cook the rice using rice cooker/stove. Set aside to cool down.

2. Remove liver, heart and gizzard from the chicken cavity and discard them. Rub 1 tablespoon of salt all over the chicken to clean it and wash the salt away under running water.

3. Pour boiling water into the chicken cavity to blanch it and dab dry with kitchen towel.  

4. Rub 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon sugar inside the chicken cavity, and stuff the glutinous rice (from step 1) into the cavity. Seal the cavity with thread/wooden satay stick/wooden toothpicks. I use toothpicks. 

5. Rub 1/2 teaspoon salt all over the chicken. Lay the ginseng beard (and goji berries if using) on the bottom of steaming tray and place chicken on the ginseng beard. 

6. Steam the chicken over high heat for 1 hour. Check on the water in the steamer/wok occasionally to make sure it does not dry up. 

7. Unseal the cavity and serve the chicken hot.

Steamed Radish Cake

萝卜糕

Bought a big white radish from market. Half went into beef stew and the other half for this savory dish. Some call it steamed carrot cake. Recipe below extracted from my favourite cookbook. I doubled the portion as I love the texture and flavour of this radish cake. Taste good on its own but I like it pan fried (only need to lightly coat with potato starch) with crispy sides. 

Ingredients

400g radish

300g rice flour

80g potato starch

800ml water (I used chicken stock)

14g dried shrimps. You can add chinese sausage too if you prefer.

2 tsp salt

2 tsp chicken powder (I replaced this by using chicken stock)

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp sesame oil

1 spoonful of love

Method

1. Soak dried shrimps for at least half hour. Chop into smaller pieces thereafter.

2. Cut the radish into thin strips.

3. Heat up wok and stir fry dried shrimps until fragrant. Add the radish and stir fry until radish is soft.

4. Pour in 400ml of chicken stock, salt, sugar and sesame oil, and stir to combine. Bring to boiĺ and simmer the radish under low heat for 7-8minutes.

5. Mix the rice flour and potato starch in a large mixing bowl. Pour in remaining 400ml of chicken stock and use spatula to stir until you get a smooth mixture i.e. no lumps of flour.

6. Pour the radish into the flour mixture and stir thoroughly to mix.

7. Transfer the radish to steaming tray. Steam over high heat for 1 hour and remove from steamer when done.

Steamed savory and sweet glutinous rice

 

We like to take steamed savory glutinous rice dish for our breakfast.  It is easy to make with just a few ingredients: glutinous rice (also called sticky rice), dried shrimps, fried shallots and spring onions. Recipe adapted from Lucinda Lau.

I recently discovered my late mother in law's handwritten recipe for sweet glutinous rice. By applying similar method for making savory glutinous rice, I think I managed to recreate the sweet glutinous rice we used to buy from "Famous Glutinous Rice" stall in Chinatown Complex Food Centre. This stall has closed down in 2012.

I understand that back in 1950s-1960s, sweet and savory glutinous rice was a common breakfast staple sold by street hawkers in Singapore. Now, it is very difficult to find stalls selling BOTH savory and sweet glutinous rice. But I don't have to worry as I can cook it anytime we want now. 😅

A. Savory Glutinous Rice 

Ingredients

300g glutinous rice

290ml water (includes water for soaking dried shrimps)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 spoonful of love 

Toppings

dried shrimps

Fried shallots

Sping onions

Fried/crispy peanuts

Method

1. Soak dried shrimps for at least half hour. Drain after that and keep the water for cooking glutinous rice later. 

2. Soak glutinous rice for at least 3 hours. Drain the rice and discard the water (can use it to water your plants too).

3. Fry the shallots and dried shrimps separately. Remove them from wok and keep about 1 tablespoon of remaining oil in the wok to fry the glutinous rice. Stir fry the rice well under medium heat.

4. Pour in the water (including that used for soaking dried shrimps), add salt and sugar. Continue to stir fry for about 1 minute.

5. Transfer the rice to steaming tray and steam over medium heat for 10minutes.

6. After 10minutes, loosen the rice with rice paddle and continue to steam for another 15minutes. 

7. Wait for rice to cool down.

8. Garnish with toppings and serve.

B. Sweet Glutinous Rice

Ingredients

100g glutinous rice

90g water

25g sugar

1 spoonful of love

Method

1. Soak glutinous rice for at least 3 hours. Drain the rice and discard the water (can use it to water your plants too).

2. Spread the glutinous rice in the steaming tray and add water.

3. Steam for 10 minutes under medium heat, then loosen the rice with rice paddle. Continue to steam for another 10minutes.

4. Sprinkle sugar over the glutinous rice immediately and use rice paddle to mix the sugar in. Ready to eat! Best eaten together with the savory glutinous rice.