EZCR#33 - STIR FRY BRINJALS WITH TOMATOES

One easy to cook Chinese vegetable dish yet it is appetising and tasty.  Suitable for the old and young.

The brinjals and tomatoes are cooked till soft but not soggy. The minced meat is tasty with the seasonings.  Sweet brinjals pairs off well with the sourish tomatoes.  Basil leaves are added which gives a refreshing aroma and brightens up this dish. Moreover, basil leaves and brinjals are perfect combination in a dish.

This dish is good to go with porridge or rice. 

Ingredients

[serves 3]

100 gm minced meat

1 small brinjal – cut wedges

1-2 tomatoes – cut wedges

A bunch of basil leaves

1 tbsp each of chopped garlic and ginger

1 tbsp oil

Seasoning

1 tbsp each of preserved soy bean paste [fine tau cheong], cooking wine, light soy sauce and Apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp chilli sauce

1/2 tsp sugar to taste [I used a dash of msg]

1. Heat oil in a non-stick wok, sauté garlic and ginger until romatic, add in minced meat. Continue to fry until it turns white and fragrant.
2. Add in seasoning and tomatoes. Stir to mix well, add in brinjals [you can deep fry the brinjals first].
3. Cover to cook until brinjals are soft. Add a little water if it’s too dry and brinjals are not soft yet. 
4. Lastly add in the basil leaves. Stir fry to cook leaves and mix well. 
5. Dish up to serve with porridge or rice.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

EZCR#32 - CHICKEN AND KUAH CHYE [MUSTARD] SOUP

Never ending easy Chinese recipes that I have been cooking and sharing them here. These are really simple and easy ones to prepare yet they are definitely tasty and delicious in their own way with minimal ingredients.  Bare in mind they are also much, much healthier than those you get to eat from food stalls outside.

Like this soup, only a handful of ingredients yet it looks and tastes good. The soup is clear, aromatic and flavourful. Chicken meat is tender and sweet. The mustard stem pieces are crunchy.  Boil the soup a little longer if you like the mustard stems soft.  Just this one soup is good enough for a simple meal with rice. Especially suitable for cold weather.

Ingredients

[serve 3-4]

2 medium size chicken whole leg [skin removed] – chopped bite size pieces

200 gm mustard stems – cut bite size pieces

1 tbsp preserved salted vegetable [tung choy] – rinsed twice

A few slices ginger

700-750 ml water

Seasoning – salt, wine and pepper to taste

1. Bring water to boil in a soup pot with ginger and tung choy.
2. In a wok, blanch mustard stems in boiling water until they turned bright green. Dish up and soak in cold water. This is to prevent further cooking.
3. Blanch chicken pieces and rinsed under tap water to remove any scums. Add to boiling soup. Cook for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
4. Add in blanched vegetables and seasoning to taste. Cook for a further 3 minutes [longer if you like the vegetables to be softer].
5. Serve immediately.
   
   

CHICKEN SERUNDING BUNS

These Chicken Serunding [Spicy Chicken Floss] Buns are made using a soft bun dough recipe.

The buns are soft, cottony and good with the spicy chicken floss fillings. The chicken floss were given by my sister’s Muslim colleague during Hari Raya.  With some leftovers, I also used it to make Chicken Serunding Bread Rolls using Cinnamon Bread Roll dough recipe [see previous post].

The bread dough is soft, smooth and pliable, not sticky to touch and easy to handle and shape after resting.

Ingredients

100 gm Chicken Serunding [Spicy Chicken Floss]

Some toasted sesame seeds

Ingredients for Bread Dough

[makes 12 Buns]

300 gm bread flour

25 gm castor sugar

2 tbsp milk powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp instant yeast

190 ml water

25 gm butter

1. Mix and knead all the dough ingredients [except butter] into a soft dough. Add in butter and continue to knead until soft, smooth and elastic.
2. Dust your hands with extra plain flour and shape dough into a ball. Leave in the mixing bowl, cover to rest until double in size [about 20-30 minutes].
3. Punch down dough, divide into 2 equal portions [about 275 gm each]. Shape into a ball.
4. Divide each portion into 8 equal portions [about 35 gm each]. Roll into a ball then flatten into a round disc. Wrap filling with dough and seal the edges well and shape into a round ball.
5. Put them on a lined baking tray. Brush with egg glaze and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds.
6. Proof till double in size [about 30 minutes] and bake in a preheated oven [middle rack] at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes or golden brown.
7. Remove and leave to cool on wire rack.  Immediately brush baked buns with some melted butter if preferred.