CRISPY TEMPEH FRITTERS

What is tempeh?  According to my mere knowledge of tempeh, its origin is from Indonesia.  Made from soybeans into a cake by natural culturing and fermentation.

It is firm in texture and high in nutrition,  widely as a staple source of protein in vegetarian cuisine.  Tempeh keeps well in room temperature for 2-3 days. Was told not to keep it in the refrigerator which is moist and damp.  

I have used it to cook curries and in several vegetarian dishes.  Here, it is coated with batter and deep fried until crispy and serve with a sweet, sour and spicy dipping sauce.

These fritters makes a great snack for afternoon tea and best to eat them right after frying while still hot.

Ingredients

2 pieces [250 gm] tempeh [fermented soybean cake]

1 tbsp each chopped red chilli and spring onion

Batter [combined into a batter]

100 gm seasoned all purpose flour [spicy or non-spicy]

sugar to taste

2 tbsp oil

water

Dipping Sauce [combined]

2 tbsp chilli sauce

2 tbsp tomato sauce

2 tbsp plum sauce

1 tbsp lime juice

dash of salt and ground black pepper to taste

1. Combine batter ingredients into a runny consistency.  
2. Cut tempeh into bite size pieces.  
3. Heat up oil until just hot.  Dip tempeh slices into batter and deep fry until crispy and golden in colour.
4. Dish up and drain off excess oil.
5. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.

FRIED PEA SPROUTS

This is a homey mixed ingredients with pea sprout dish.  The combination of ingredients is actually according to individual preference.  Just increase the portion of the ingredients you like or use less of others which you like less.  It can be served as a One Dish Meal with rice as it is complete with proteins, carbo and fibre.

I only had this healthy dish with rice for dinner over the weekend.  Love the 5 spice flavoured firm beancurd  [Ng Heong Taufu Kon] of this dish and the crunchy pea sprouts.  

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

1-2 pieces 5 spice flavoured firm beancurd - cut 1 cm strips

2 dried mushrooms - soaked, drained and shredded

1 small carrot - peeled and shredded

1 tbsp shredded ginger

100 gm chicken breast meat or with some pork strips

150 gm pea sprouts

1 red chilli - seeded and shredded

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp cornflour with 1 tbsp water [mixed]

Seasoning A

1/2 tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

dash of pepper and msg

salt to taste

4 tbsp water

Seasoning B for Pea Sprouts

dash of salt, pepper, msg and sesame seed oil to taste

1. Heat oil in a non-stick wok, pan fry firm beancurd until golden and crispy at the edges, dish up.
2. Using the same wok, saute chicken strips until it turns white, add in mushrooms.  Stir fry until fragrant.
3. Add in ginger, carrots and seasoning A.  Toss well to combine ingredients.  Add in water and fried beancurd.  Bring to boil and thicken with some cornstarch water.
4. Dish up onto a bowl.  Press and invert onto serving platter.
5. Using the same wok, put in pea sprouts and seasoning B.  Quickly stir to mix well.  Dish up and place sprouts around the fried ingredients.
6. Serve immediately.

BEANCURD NAM YEE MEATBALLS

These nam yee tofu meatballs are soft and moist inside with crispy edges. They are tasty, not salty if you think they are because of the nam yee.  When you chew it slowly, there is a kind of fragrance.

 These can be pre-fried and fried again just before meal time for added crispiness.  I strong recommend to fry them twice cos' they do not stay crispy for long.

Recipe adapted from my selected cookbook for Cookbook Countdown Event #5 -Yum Yum Magazine No. 48 [modified]

Ingredients

2 blocks soft beancurd [tofu] - mashed and drained in a colander to remove excess water

200 gm minced meat

1 tsp chopped garlic

3 stalk spring onion - chopped

some chopped carrots - optional

1 egg

Seasoning

2-3 pieces red fermented beancurd [nam yee]

1 tsp each sugar and light soy sauce

dash of pepper and sesame seed oil

1-2 tbsp cornflour

1. Mix and combine all the ingredients.  Stir until sticky, swet aside.
2. Heat oil in pot, scoop a spoonful of batter into medium hot oil in batches.  Fire until firm, cooked but not brown.
3. Remove, reheat oil and return fried nam yee meatballs to fry again until the edges are crispy and golden brown.
4. Dish up, serve immediately with sweet chilli sauce.
   
   
   
   
   
   

This post is linked to Cookbook Countdown #5 hosted by

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

EZCR#54 - FRIED FROZEN TOFU IN BLACK PEPPER SAUCE

My liking for frozen tofu started when I saw the chef preparing a dish with it on TV.   Out of curiosity, I tried it and just love it. Click here for the earlier recipe. 

In case, some of you may not know what is frozen tofu, do visit these sites for the details which was what I did before sharing this post.

The tiny holes in the frozen tofu soak up the seasoning which make it very tasty and adding black pepper gives additional flavour and aroma to the tasteless tofu.

Ingredients

1-2 blocks tofu - cut 2 cm thick slices

some broccoli florets 

some garlic slices

a few slices red carrots

a few slices ginger

Seasoning

1-2 tbsp each light soy sauce, wine and oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp ground black pepper [more according to own preference]

3-4 tbsp water

1. How to Prepare Frozen Tofu? - Cut tofu into smaller pieces, place in plastic container, drain off excess water if any.  Leave it in the freezer for a day or 2 before use.  Thaw to room temperature before cooking.  Press out excess water before frying.
2. Pan fry frozen tofu in a non-stick wok until golden brown. Push aside. 
3. Add in ginger, garlic and carrots and seasoning ingredients.  Stir fry tofu to mix well with the seasoning. 
4. Add in water, bring to boil, and simmer until gravy is reduced, then add broccoli.  Cover to cook for a minute.
5. Dish up to serve.
   
   
   
   
   

BRAISED BEANCURD SKIN ROLLS IN OYSTER SAUCE

These beancurd skin rolls can be served fried or braised. Either way, it is as tasty.

The braising sauce is tasty. The rolls are flavourful on its own and best serve immediately after frying.  The braised one is good with rice as the sauce tasted just perfect [not too salty but tasty].  It's delicious.

Recipe adapted from Yum Yum Magazine No. 77

Ingredients

[makes 30 rolls]

300 gm half lean and fat pork – minced

150 gm fish paste

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 tsp cornflour

2 tbsp chopped spring onions

1 sheet beancurd skin [tau poay] – cut into 30 pieces

Enough oil for frying

Seasoning [combine together]

¼ tsp each of salt and pepper

½ tsp each sugar, chicken stock granules and sesame seed oil

½ tbsp each light soy sauce and oyster sauce

½ cup water

1. Combine minced meat, fish paste, salt and mix until very sticky. Add in pepper and cornstarch. Mix well and add in spring onions. Mix into a paste and chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
2. Spread some filling on beancurd skin sheet and wrap up. Repeat the same for the remaining filling.
3. Heat enough oil in pan, deep fry or pan fry until rolls are cooked and golden brown. Dish up and drain.
4. Remove excess oil. Pour combine seasoning sauce in pan and add in the fried rolls.
5. Cook until sauce has thickened and almost dry. Dish up and serve hot.
   
   
   

CRISPY, FLUFFY FRIED TAUFU PUFF

These crispy fried stuffed taufu puff is quite a common dish at ‘Chu Char’ stalls.  If you like to prepare these for your loved ones at home, not to worry, it is very easy. Not complicated as I thought when I first saw the recipe. I’m sharing this simple, easy recipe here with you.

Do give this a try, they are crispy on the outside which is quite tasteless but the flavour comes from the filling which is a combination of prawns, crabmeat and meat.

Dip in any of your favourite chilli sauce , it is awesome and quite addictive, I am sure you wouldn’t stop at one.

BTW, if you don’t have crab meat, just prawn flesh with pork or chicken, it is still okay.
Recipe adapted from my selected cookbook for Cookbook Countdown Event #3] - Home Cooking Magazine [January 2001] with modifications 

Ingredients For Filling

[makes 20 pieces]

100 gm chicken fillet - minced

100 gm prawn flesh - minced

100 gm crab meat – minced

1 Bombay onion – peeled and finely chopped

1 red chilli – seeded and chopped

1 small egg

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp sesame seed oil

2 tbsp cornstarch

Other Ingredients

20 fluffy fried taufu puffs – best to use those which are hollow inside

Enough oil for deep frying

1. Cut a slit on one edge of the taufu puff and carefully turn it inside out to prevent it from breaking into two.
2. Combine all the filling ingredients. Mix well until sticky.
3. Stuff filling inside each taufu puff and leave aside in the fridge until ready to cook.
4. Heat oil over medium heat, deep fry taufu puffs in batches till golden and crispy.
5. Serve immediately with Thai chilli sauce or any spicy sauce of your choice.
   
   
   

I'm submitting this post with Cookbook Countdown hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray