THERMAL COOKER - BUDDHA’S GOURD SWEET POTATO PORK RIB SOUP

These days, I love to cook soups using my Thermal Cooker especially those soups that require a longer simmering time like pork ribs and chicken. With the thermal cooker, I need not have to simmer soup or watch over the stove all the time. I find that the soups are clear and the meat are just tender. This soup is high in fibre, the natural sweetness comes from the Buddha’s gourd and sweet potatoes. The seasoning ingredients are salt, wine and pepper.

Moreover, the pork ribs are just tender together with the other ingredients.
 A good homey comfort soup suitable for all ages. 
Ingredients
1 small Buddha’s Gourd – washed and cut chunky pieces 
1 small sweet potato – peeled and cut chunky pieces 
300 gm meaty pork ribs – blanched and rinsed
4 dried mushrooms – soaked, keep whole or halved
1 tbsp wolfberries [kei chee] 
1 litre water or stock
Seasoning
1 tbsp wine
salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring water or stock to boil in inner pot of thermal cooker [you can cook this soup with normal pot, the usual way], add in pork ribs.
2. Bring to boil for about 20-25 minutes. Add in remaining ingredients and let in boil for another 5-10 minutes. Cover pot and transfer to outer pot of Thermal Cooker.
3. Close the lid and leave the soup to continue cooking in it. Soup should be ready within 1-2 hours.
4. Before serving, bring soup to boil, taste to adjust seasoning.
5. Serve hot in soup bowl.
   
    
   
   

PURPLE SWEET POTATO YOGHURT COTTONY CAKE [OGURA CAKE]

I have baked cottony cake with purple sweet potato before [here] but this one here is with yoghurt instead of milk with some minor changes to other ingredients.  The cake turned out well too, the texture is as lovely, spongy and moist but the colour is not purplish at all.
These photos do not look good cos' these are taken in the early morning when the lighting isn't that good.

Ingredients

[8 inch square baking tin]

5 egg yolks

1 egg

50 ml corn oil 

85 gm plain yoghurt

65 gm self raising flour  - sifted - set aside

50 gm mashed sweet potato [purple sweet potato]

1/4 tsp salt

5 egg whites

70 gm sugar

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1. Line base of a 8" square tin with greased proof paper.   I greased the sides, too and sprinkle lightly with a little flour [this way, the cake can be easily removed from pan after cooling].
2. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.    Place a baking tray on the lowest rack, pour in enough water [about 1.5 cups] for steam baking, then place a baking rack over it. 
3. Mix yoghurt and mashed sweet potato together until well combined.
4. Whisk egg yolks and 1 whole egg together with flour until creamy, add in yoghurt mixture then gradually drizzle in the corn oil.  Whisk until well combined.  Set aside.
5. Use a cake mixer, whisk egg whites until frothy, then add in cream of tartar.  Beat until soft peaks then gradually add in the sugar in 3 batches and whisk until stiff peaks formed.  Do not over beat egg whites otherwise it may be difficult to fold in to egg yolk mixture.
6. Fold in 1/3 of the meringue into the egg yolk mixture until combined.   Then fold in the rest of the meringue lightly in two portions until well combined. 
7. Pour the batter into prepared cake tin.   Shake the pan slightly to smooth the batter and tap baking tin on work surface a few times to release trapped air bubbles before baking.
8. Place it over the baking rack to steam bake cake in a preheated oven at 160 degrees C for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 150 degrees C and continue to bake for 50 minutes [by then the water bath would have dried up].  
9. Remove cake and invert it to cool for about 5 minutes [otherwise the cake base may be moist because of vapour from steam-baking].  
10. Remove baking tin and the paper linings immediately and leave cake to cool on a wire rack [base facing upwards].  The cake may shrink a little when cooled because of less flour used [low gluten cake].
11. Turn over the cake when completely cooled.  Refrigerate before slicing if preferred.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

BUBUR CHA CHA

Bubur Cha Cha [Sweet Potato and Taro Medley in Light Coconut Sauce] - this is the dessert that most Hokkien Chinese in Penang or northern Malaysia will cook on Chap Goh Meh [15th day of Chinese New Year].  Of course, there are many versions of it, cooked according to each individual family's preference.

My mum used to cook this years ago but I didn't want to follow her recipe cos' she dumps everything in one pot and the coconut cream is no longer white in colour.  I prefer the sauce milky white and the other ingredients remain so colourful.

Here, I followed  a recipe from Nyonya Flavours [my selected cookbook for Cookbook Countdown Event - February 2016].  I did some modifications, too according to my own preference.  I omit the black eye beans, sago pearls and bananas.  I didn't follow exactly the measurement of the sweet potatoes and taro cos' it isn't practical for me to get the stated quantity but I make sure that all these ingredients add up to the total weight.

Anyway, I gave my neighbour a bowl of it and she gave this a thumbs up.  My family enjoyed it too.  The sweetness is just nice for me and the coconut sauce is aromatic and tastes good.  Actually, it is my hubby who requested that I cook 'Bubur Cha Cha' for him.  This is a keeper.

Ingredients

[serves 6]

100 gm yellow sweet potato

100 gm orange sweet potato

100 gm purple sweet potato

200 gm yam [taro]

1. Peel and cut sweet potatoes and yam into cubes or other desired shape [mine is like diamond shape].  Steam separately for about 20-25 minutes or until cooked.  Set aside.

100 gm black-eye beans - soaked for 1 hour [I omit]

1. In a pot, boil beans in enough water to cover until soft.  Drain and set aside.

20 gm sago pearls [I omit]

1. In a pot, boil sago pearls in enough water until they are translucent and cooked.  Strain and keep the sago in a bowl of iced water until required.

3 bananas - preferably Pisang Raja - I omit

1. Peel and cut bananas into 1cm thick slices.
   

Tapioca Flour Jelly

100 gm tapioca flour

120 ml boiling water

some pink and green colouring

1. To make the jelly, divide the flour into 2 portions in small mixing bowls.  Add pink colouring into 60 ml hot boiling water and slowly add into flour to bind.  Mix with a wooden spoon to incorporate well.  When dough is cool enough, transfer to a piece of cling wrap.  Lightly roll dough until smooth and use a cutter to cut into small pieces or any desired shape.  Dust with some flour if necessary to prevent sticking.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil, then drop in the cut tapioca dough to cook.  Boil until the dough is translucent and the pieces rise to the surface.  Scoop out and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking.  Keep them in the water until required.
3. Repeat the same for the green colour.
   
   

Coconut Cream Sauce

1 litre coconut milk [from 1/2 grated coconut]*

150 gm sugar to taste

2 pandan leaves - washed and tie into a knot

* Substitute with 300 ml thick coconut milk and 700 ml water

1. Bring water, sugar and pandan leaves to boil until fragrant and sugar dissolves.  Add in coconut milk, bring to a simmering boil.  Off heat, set aside.

To Serve Dessert

1. Put bananas, steamed potatoes, taro, black eye beans, sago pearls and tapioca jelly in a serving bowl.
2. Scoop coconut cream sauce over ingredients.  Serve hot or cold.
   
   

I'm submitting this post to Cookbook Countdown 2 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking [Makan2] Foray

PURPLE SWEET POTATO RICE CAKE [HUAT KUIH] 紫薯发糕

I have seen this lovely huat kuih recipe [prosperity cake] [here] and made some recently.  

The steamed cake rose and cracked nicely.  They are soft, moist and light even on the next day.  The sweetness is just nice for me with the reduced amount of sugar used.

If you like to try a huat kuih recipe using yeast, this one is easy to prepare.

Recipe adapted from Amiliaya Recipe [modified]

Ingredients

[makes about 20 small huat kuihs]

50 gm purple sweet potato [ 紫薯]

210 ml water [水]

180 gm rice flour [粘米粉]

75 gm sugar [糖] - I used 60 gm

1 tsp yeast [酵母]

1 tsp baking powder [ 泡打粉]

1. Steam purple sweet potatoes until soft [about 20-30 minutes].  Blend steamed sweet potatoes with water.  Pour into a big mixing bowl.
2. Mix and combine blended mixture with rice flour, sugar and yeast.  Cover bowl and let it rise for about 2 1/2 hours.
3. After resting for 2 1/2 hours, add in baking powder and mix well.  Let it rise for another 30 minutes.
4. Stir then pour into paper cups or greased moulds until the rim.  
5. Steam over high heat for 15 minutes.
   
   
   

Click here for more Huat Kuih Recipes

This post is linked to Cook and Celebrate: Chinese New Year 2016 hosted by Yen from GoodyFoodies, Diana from The Domestic Goddess Wannabe

and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids