冬至：汤圆

2020, I not really like tan yuan, but in order to not to let the kids forget about our chinese culture, I still make it every year and getting them to involve as well. 

This year, due to busy year end thing, i kind of forgot and until my friends sent me wishes on this festival. 

In fact, for us (chinese) this is 'bigger than our lunar chinese new year', we will grow 1 year older after eating this :) Also, saying that the number of tan yuan we eat must be equivalent to our age.  (i still remember my siblings always 'bully' me in the old time, forcing me to eat more as knowing i dont like it)  >-<

I need to note down this recipe before i forget, else i have to google everywhere when i need it.  And this amount is just nice for my family as everyone got a good amount of tan yuan.

Ingredient:

Glutinuous flour : [ 2/3 cup : 9 balls ] x 2 

Water : [ 60ml + 4 tbsp (30 hot + 30 room temp water) ]  x 2 

             30 ml ~ 4 tbsp  

Instruction:

1. Just mix the flour with the water, until is not sticky

2. Normally i split it into 3 portion for sesame, peanut butter and chocolate filling.

The youtube reference : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_5WJM_6bOg&list=PLADD01A943E2E2B5F&index=32

中秋节 : 冰皮月饼

Trying another new recipe this year as stated below. My kids love snowskin mooncake and is easy for me to make as well, not complicated instructions :) 

I am only using the dough / skin recipe from this youtube as we normally will buy the ready-made paste for the filling.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/uVW05S0Cjv0

Filling (450 gram = 25gram x 18) * Lotus / Chestnut Paste Dough面团：（407g=22.5gx18） * 50g Glutinous rice flour 糯米粉 6tbsp+2tsp * 30g Rice flour 粘米粉 4tbsp * 30g Wheat starch 澄粉(小麦淀粉) 4tbsp * 30g Sugar 糖 1/8cup * 20g Condenced milkd 炼乳 1tbsp * 30g Oil 油 1/8cup * 230g Milk 牛奶 3/4cup+3tbsp+1/2tsp * 5g Matcha powder 抹茶粉 1tsp OR Pandan Essense 1tsp

2tbsp Sweet rice flour 糯米粉

Instructions:

1. Mix the dough
   
2. Steam the dough for 25 minute
3. Cool down the dough
4. Knead the cold steamed dough with 'pandan essense' 
5. Divide the dough into 18 pieces
6. Wrap the dough with filling inside 
7. Get the dough ball coated with cooked Glutious rice flour.
8. Put in the mooncake mold and press it hard.

中秋节 : 月糕, 月光饼

 I came across this recipe when I was browsing through the youtube for Mooncake recipe. During my childhood, I dont really like sweet stuff.. not a sweet tooth person. I remember well my mum LOVE this, every mooncake festival I will see my mum happily enjoy this 'biscuit'. 

My son has the same 'taste' like my mum, my husband like it too.. for my daughters, both of them never try this before. Since the recipe is quite easy and I need to prepare the 'similar ingredient' for snowskin mooncake, I just gave it a try !! 

I am following this youtube recipe, which is quite simple. 

Youtube referece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJfQg61RhVw&list=PLADD01A943E2E2B5F&index=22

材料:

50克 糕粉 (熟糯米粉) (6tbsp+2tsp)

35克-40克 糖浆 (糖浆食谱如下)

糖浆材料:

150克 砂糖 (1/2 cup + 1/8 cup)

75克 水

1小片 香兰叶 (选择性增加香味)

Instructions:

1. Cook the syrup in a pan and let it cool down.
2. Pour 40gram of syrup into the flour and mixed well. (need to add more syrup to make it more solid)
3. Put the flour mixture into the mooncake mold and get it done.

Cinnamon Rolls

 Well, as usual, I barely baked as not really 'good' on it and also due to the cold weather here.. the bread always turned up not so good. I tried this recipe more than once, the good thing about this is you can make the dough and put in your fridge overnight or few days. Once you ready to bake, just take out .. roll it flat .. apply the cinnamon paste and bake ! And of course, my kids LOVE it!! 

Here the youtube link i refer to : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTdU13pryV0

But i did not add in the topping cream, as i prefer it to be just cinnamon rolls with the sticky cinnamon paste :p

糯米烧卖 Glutinous rice siu mai

I think this is not malaysian dim sum.. as i can remember, we normally have 'siew mai' with the pork mince ... or just 'lu mai kai'.. I know this from Shanghai friend, and of course asian grocerry shop.. my kids love glutinous rice and me too. So i tried with this recipe that i found from youtube, it turns out quite good, but the problem is we 'stuff' too much ...hahaha.. end up the siu mai become very 'BIG" size  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kpMAOLSdH0

I used x2 recipe as to make 24 pieces (well, my kids never had enough) ..haha.. I will add on the pic after steamed... (forgot to snap the photo on my 1st batch), I keep the extra in freezer for other days.

马脚

其实我不太喜欢吃马脚，但我老公喜欢，这是我第一次做。。在2020 澳洲的父亲节里。。给大家当午餐。。孩子们也喜欢吃。。我估计大多数孩子都喜欢吃‘炸’的 。。哈哈。。

https://youtu.be/8LINtUHPeK4

Dough started （面种）
100g (3/4 cup) plain flour （普通面粉）
1 tsp caster sugar （细砂糖）
1 tsp instant yeast （即溶干酵母）
150ml water （水）

Ingredients （材料）:
300g (2 1/3 cups) plain flour  （普通面粉）
110g (1/2 cup) caster sugar （细砂糖）
1 tsp salt （盐）
1/2 tsp baking powder （发粉）
1/2 tsp baking soda （苏打粉）
1/4 tsp alkaline water （碱水）
140ml water（水）
1 tbsp cooking oil （油）

Sweet batter （甜面糊）：
2 tbsp caster sugar （细砂糖）
1 tbsp corn starch （玉米粉）
1 tbsp plain flour （普通面粉）
2 tbsp warm water （温水）

Some white sesame seeds （适量白芝麻）

烧包

Siew pao... 烧包 .. Seremban 烧包 is very famous in Malaysia, but to me as long as the filling is tasty enough and the skin not too thick, I would be very  happy to grab for 2-3 easily :)  I seldom make all the 'complicated' recipe as quite lazy on top of daily chores... During the lockdown now in Victoria, life been too boring.. and there was leftover 'char siew' ... so just search for some 'simplest' recipe and do it !! 

Well, really took me lots of times and efforts >.< 

I am refering to this youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d7f04YMbX0

Ingredients :

Water dough （水皮) :
200g plain flour（普通面粉）2/3 cup x 2
60g butter or margarine （牛油或玛芝琳）
2 tbsp caster sugar（细砂糖）
120 ml water（水）

Oil dough （油皮) :
160g plain flour（普通面粉）1 cup + 2 tbsp
100g shortening（白油）/ 150g butter
2 tbsp oil （油）
250g pork belly （五花肉）
2 onions, medium size （中型洋葱）
100g green peas （青豆）

Seasoning （调味料）:
1 tsp dark soy sauce （黑酱油）
1 tbsp oyster sauce （蚝油）
1 tsp pepper （胡椒粉）
1/2 tsp five spice powder （五香粉）
1 tsp light soy sauce （生抽）
1 tsp salt （盐）
3 tbsp sugar （糖）

1/2 tbsp corn flour （玉米粉）
1 tbsp water （水）

糯米夹粽

My all time favourite :) but cannot eat too much as very 'full' .. 

   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hsk-mSBQwPg&list=PLoG7DKzmawqDZh07Rec5kfk3GuTcjBOPv&index=8&t=0s

材料：

高粉125克 (1 cup + 1.5 tbsp)

中粉175克(1 cup + 4 tbsp)

酵母1.5小匙，

幼糖65克(8 tbsp)，

水175ML,

盐1/2小匙，

油1大匙，

苏打粉1/2小匙

糯米团：

糯米200克-1 cup（浸4小时），糖35克 (4.5 tbsp)，盐1茶匙，水浸过糯米

糯米做法：

混合全部材料，蒸30分钟，等到微热，把糯米饭铺在保鲜纸，然后卷成条状备用。

面团做法：

1. 除了油，全部材料放进SKG面包机开启imix功能设定30min，5分钟后才加油，继续25分钟至完毕之后开发酵烘焙待发30分钟。
   **没有面包机的可以用搅拌机搅拌或手搓面哦
   
   
2. 面团拿出擀平，放入已蒸熟的糯米条和面团卷成条状，然后切成一片一片。
   
   
3. 休面10分钟，预热油，小火炸至金黄色即可

Pandan Jelly Cake

This is my mother's 'Mother's Day Cake' for all time, every year. My eldest sister will order this from our hometown, Taiping on Mother's Day. Well, this is the 7th year after she passed away, and it's has been quite sometime I have not taste this cake. Going through the youtube during this COVID lockdown time... to pass my bored time.. and accidentally found this. And copied down the recipe for future reference, thinking to bake it this coming weekend. Well, I will update the post with the pictures once I bake it.

Every meal/dish always bring back some good memories for us, reminding us to someone 'special' to you. Hopefully I can master this cake and bake it every year on Mother's day to remember my dearest mother in the heaven. 每个人都有他们自己特别的食物，带领着我们走入内心的美好记忆。。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpdgY4LkYvs&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0im0u0Vz8A3y3UKGoYMRXDlIb6NV1vumiHxcuhXYHFIzX4oO4xvQ0UkKk

Ingredients 蛋糕材料:
4 egg yolks  (粒蛋黄)
40g (5 tbsp) caster sugar  (幼糖)
80g corn oil (粟米油)
80ml pandan juice (班兰汁)
120g (10.5 tbsp) plain flour (面粉)
1/2 tsp baking powder  (小匙发粉)
4 egg whites (粒蛋白)
1/8 tsp cream of tartar (小匙塔塔粉）
80g (1/3 cups) caster sugar (幼糖)    

Filling 班兰咖椰材料:
500ml coconut milk (浓椰浆)
1 pack of hoen kwe flour (85g-7.5 tbsp) (包白色印尼綠豆粉(85g))
1/2 tsp salt (小匙盐)
170g (2/3 cups) caster sugar (幼糖) 
4 tsp agar - agar powder  (小匙燕菜粉)
4 tsp instant jelly powder  (小匙即溶遮哩粉)
600ml pandan juice (班兰汁)

中空模 Tubepan size is 20cm(8")

Pandan Chiffon Cake

I had tried few recipe before but turned out not so good. A friend of mine gave me 2 'aluminium mold' medium size ... so trying out with this recipe that i found from youtube... Apron, a very good channel for simple and easy instructions, which turned up to be the best trial I had before.

p/s: This recipe works well, since my 'cake mold' is bigger, I had re-calculate the measurement to cater for bigger mold. The small disposable mold seriously not enough for my 'chiffon cake fans' 's kids   ^_^'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xWzT4QKvOI&t=377s

Ingredients:

Instructions:

1. Get ready for the pandan juice (i am using the ready drops from asian groceries)
2. Mix the Egg yolk batter
• Separate 3 egg yolks and whites
• Add Caster Sugar ( 1 1/2 tbsp) and mix
• Add Oil (coconut or etc) 20 ml
• Add coconut milk 50 ml (~3 tbsp)
• Add pandan juice 30 ml and mix all
• Shift 5 tablespoon of cake flour
3. Egg white batter
• Electric mixer -> egg white
• Add cream of tartar 1/8 teaspoon
• Add caster sugar 5,1/2 tbsp and mix until stiff peaks
4. Mix some of the Egg white batter into yolk batter
5. Mix all the yolk batter into the egg white batter
6. Quick mix and put into oven to bake 150 celcious for 45-50 (bigger portion will be 1 hr)

============================================================

Bigger version

https://mykitchen101en.com/pandan-sponge-cake/

Ingredients:
-  4 egg yolks (grade A/size: L, room temperature)
-  60 g (1/4 cup + 2 tsps) fine sugar
-  50 g (1/4 cup) corn oil (or other vegetable oil)
-  60 ml (1/4 cup) pandan juice*
-  120 g (1 1/4 cups) low protein flour (cake flour)
-  1 tsp baking powder

Ingredients for meringue:
- 4 egg whites (grade A/size: L, room temperature)
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 60 g (1/4 cup + 2 tsps) fine sugar

Directions:
1 Grease and line 9-inch (23-cm) round baking pan with parchment paper.

Mee Rebus

Friend sent me this recipe.. just wanna keep it first, This is my favourite noodle back in my hometown.. I will try 1 day to cook this...

This recipe will make a big pot, you can just do 1/2 of the ingredients. Adding some peanut into the soup will make it more tastier too.

MEE REBUS
汤头：
橙色番薯 4-5个
马铃薯 6个
番茄 2-3粒
江鱼仔高汤 3公升

调味：
Maggie 番茄酱 6大匙
Maggie 辣椒酱 6大匙
糖 2 大匙 (我用冰糖)
盐 1 茶匙
BEBAS 辣椒粉 (agar-agar个人喜欢的份量。主要让汤颜色更好看和有点辣味)

做法：
1) 把江鱼放入水里熬煮至出味。
2) 番薯和马铃薯去皮，切块与番茄放入江鱼仔汤里继续煮至软。
3) 取出番薯，马铃薯和番茄，用搅拌机捣烂成泥，捞出江鱼仔，把烂成泥的材料倒回汤里拌均继续煮，加入调味料，试味

Pizza base - quick w/o yeast version

COVID-19 Stay at home... Trying to make food with whatever we have... try to reduce the no. of time going out for groceries.. Here found 1 recipe from my friends fb post.

I need to x 2 the ingredient as need to make 2 pizzas to feed the hungry kids :)

DRY INGREDIENTS:
1 1/3 cups bread flour ( x 2 = 2  2/3 cups)
2 tsp baking powder (x2 = 4 tsp)
3/4 tsp salt (x2 = 1  1/2 tsp)
3/4 tsp sugar (x2 1  1/2 tsp)

WET INGREDIENTS:
2 tsp olive oil (x2 = 4 tsp)
1/2 cup water (cold tap water x 2 = 1 cup)

OTHER
1 tbsp Extra Flour , for dusting
2 tsp vegetable oil (optional) , for brushing crust (or canola or other neutral oil) (Note 3)

Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°C / 480°F (230°C fan) (Note 4.) Place shelf in the top quarter of the oven.
- Spray pizza pan or baking tray lightly with oil.
- Prepare pizza sauce and toppings. Keep shredded mozzarella in the fridge (Note 5).

Bread Machine

Just put all in and set for Dough function

ROLLING OUT DOUGH:

1. Dough should be soft and elastic, and not stick to your hands. It will not be completely smooth like yeast dough (video 38 sec)(Note 6).
2. Shape dough into a ball. Roll out into a 30cm/12" round.
3. Transfer to pizza pan, preferably with holes (for crispier base), or a baking tray (Note 7 pizza stone). Use your fingers to pull from the centre to fill the pan to the edge - avoid pinching the edges (to ensure puffy crust!).

TOP & BAKE:

1. Top with 1/4 cup pizza sauce and toppings of choice.
2. Brush the crust edge (just exposed edge with no toppings on it) with oil.
3. Bake 12 minutes, until the edges are crispy and golden. Cut and serve immediately!

Mang Zhang Kueh 曼煎糕

又一个我们‘巴刹‘的食物。。早餐。。点心。。什么时候都可以吃。。嘻嘻。。通常都会在’早市‘ 里找到。。

这边天气冷，很难发。。第一次做效果没那么好。。但孩子们（除了老三）都一上碟就吃完了。。说明还是不错。。快快把食谱写下。。

Youtube reference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tADmevpjW2Y&list=PLoG7DKzmawqDZh07Rec5kfk3GuTcjBOPv&index=2&t=0s

曼煎糕
材料：
220克面粉 (1.5 cup + 3 tbsp Flour)
1/2茶匙苏打粉 (1/2 tsp Baking powder)
50克糖 (4 tbsp Sugar)
3/4茶匙干酵母 (3/4 tsp yeast)
2粒鸡蛋 (2 eggs)
310毫升水 (310 ml water)

馅料：
120克花生，烤好，去皮及搅碎。(I used ready made peanut powder - not that tasty)
一些幼砂糖
一些cream style 罐头玉米/玉蜀黍
一些牛油

做法：
1. 把面粉过筛入一个大碗 。
2.加入酵母，糖和苏打粉拌均，
3.加入水和鸡蛋，搅拌至所有材料充分混合。用保鲜纸包着让混合物休息30分钟。面糊会在烹煮之前出现一些小泡沫。
4.热平底锅。搽上一层薄薄的牛油（这个步骤只需要做一次）。倒入适量面糊，把表面涂抹平均厚度。盖上锅盖 大约五分钟。当表面出先小洞，表示就快熟透了。这时候可以放入馅料，折半切块，可以上桌了！

虾肠粉

First time making this... and yes! Kids love it and i am sure I will do it again next time, but this really time consuming as I only use 1 square pan for the steaming as others pans seems not suitable .. will get another steaming pan so it will make the whole process faster.

I am refering to this youtube ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6H4bS33TfA&list=PLoG7DKzmawqDZh07Rec5kfk3GuTcjBOPv&index=4&t=0s

and I convert it to my own measurement as I don't normally use measurement machine for the grams.. I prefer to use cup and spoons measurement.

I had increased the amount to suit for my family of 5,which turned up just nice.. I made 11 pieces with 6 medium prawn each.

Here my measurement for 11 pieces.

Ingredients:
Shrimp (medium 6 x 11 pieces)
Spring onion (chopped)

Batter:
Rice flour(1 cup)
Tapioco starch / Corn starch (nearly 0.4 cup)
water( 2 cups )

Marinated (prawn):
Oil,salt,white pepper, cooking wine.

Sauce:
Soy sauce( 20ml)
Sugar(5gr)
Water (20ml)
Sesame oil (1ml)

Steam 2 minutes then put shrimps in and spring onion, and steam for another 2 minutes.

Home made rice noodle aka 粿条 aka kuey teow

I love kuey teow.. second favourite is Mee Hoon, then only yellow noodle .. also depends what to eat.. During this COVID-19 pandemic, always try to reduce the times of going out. Somehow, when we really feel want to eat it.. then have to do it ourself :)

This is the 1st time i made own rice noodle.. and I would adjust a bit on water to make it more 'soft' next time.

Ingredient:
1 cup rice flour
1/4 tapioca starch
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
1 and 1/2 cups water  (Add additional 1/4 water if want to be more soft)
Cooking oil (enough to coat pan and noodles)

Instruction:
1. Mix all the ingredient together.
2. Steam one tray by tray.

Reference : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj8POsM7tYE&list=PLoG7DKzmawqDZh07Rec5kfk3GuTcjBOPv&index=5&t=0s

Char Kuey Kak 炒粿角

        

INGREDIENT

Steamed Rice Cake (overnite rice)

1. 剩饭 200g + 水 300g （blender打滑）(3/4 loose rice in red bowl, 1 bowl of water)

2. 加入盐 （1 茶匙），玉米粉 100（ 1 杯），面粉（0.6 杯）

3. Add 200ml water mix

4. 蒸盘搽油，大火蒸30分钟。

5. 放凉后切。

Tau geh :

1. Use 100-120gram green bean.

2. Soak over night.

3. Put in 1 L milk carton.. cut 'hole' bottom to rinse water.

4. Rinse the bean every morning and night.

5. Hot weather: harvest in 3rd day. Cold weather harvest in 7th day. 

Fried kuey kak Reference : http://www.echoskitchen.com/2017/05/fried-radish-cake-char-kueh-kak.html

INSTRUCTION:

1. Fry garlic mince ... add 'chai bo' if you have. I had cut some bacon fat to add in as well.

2. Add in kuey kak to stir for a while.

3. Add 1.5 tablespoon of mixture of sauces.

4. Make the kuey kak a bit burn to increase the 'wok hei'

5. Make a hole in the middle, add in egg + tau geh + chinese chives, chilli and another 2 tablespoon of mixture of sauces. 

6. Stir fry till the vege is cooked and served immediately.

Note:
Cut the kuey kak into smaller pieces, you can cut while cooking too :)

Dinner Roll

终于第一次成功烘面包！！

I saw one simple recipe and think to give it a go! And GOT IT!!  I better note it down before i forgot.

Starter:
Water - 3 tbsp
Milk - 3 tbsp
Bread Flour - 2 tbsp

Dry Ingredient:
Bread Flour - 2 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Salt - 1 tsp
Yeast - 1 tbsp

Wet Ingredient:
Warm Milk - 1 cup
Butter - 1/4 cup (60 gram)
Egg - 1

Instructions:
1. Mix the starter and stir in a small pan until sticky. Put in a bowl, cover with cling wrapped, freeze for 1 hour.
2. Mix the dry ingredient. I just pour into the bread maker.
3. Mix the wet ingredient with starter and pour into the bread maker container.
4. Turn on dough function or manually dough, let it sit for 1 hour. (If using bread machine, it will sit inside within the dough function to doulbe the size).
5. Take out the dough , use some oil to dough a bit and divide into 9 portion.
6 Optional : You can put in pulled pork, BBQ pork belly, etc. Or just plain.
7. Let it sit for another 40 minutes.
8. Egg wash the top and put in the oven for 25 minutes (185 degree fan-forced)

AND DONE!!

Sweet Potato Balls 番薯蛋

Sweet potato balls番薯蛋 is a street food for Malaysian. You will definitely spot this store in any of the night market (pasar malam) in Malaysia. I usually is 'rice' people, moving here for 9 years making me started to miss a lot of malaysian food, especially I wanted my kids to remember all those 'local' food from their birth country.

My kids not really like sweet potoatoes (same as me when i was kid). But know the good thing about sweet potato and we can get it quite cheap here. I have to find ways to make the kids eat it. :) This is my 2nd attempts, the first one failed, as I poured the steamed water into making the dough, which make it too moist and have to add more flour, and leaded to tensed texture and mm. not nice. In fact this is very simple snack to clear any sweet potato, the only thing is need to deep fried.

     

Ingredients:
Sweet potato (any colors) 3 medium size
Tapioca flour
 Sugar 4 tbsp

Instructions
1. Cut the sweet potato and steam it. (approximately 15 min). Until it soft.
2. Smash the steamed soft sweet potato with some sugar ( i put 4 tbsp)
3. Add in Tapioca flour ... make it like it can roll into balls.
4. If it's too dry, just add water.

Marble Cake

Recently really do a lot of baking.. Getting recipe from friends and try out. Having 3 kids, good thing about this is they can simply finish whatever i bake very quickly. (of course with the condition of the taste not too bad, haha)..

Here come my easy marble cake
 

Ingredient:
Butter - 250g
Sugar - 200-250g (0.9 cup) I prefer not too sweet
Egg - 4 Vanilla - 1 tsp
Self-raising flour - 250g (1.9 cup)
Milk - 3 tbsp
 Coco mixture 1. 1 tsp of coco powder + 3 tsp hot water

Instruction: Preheat oven 180c
1. Add melted butter into a bowl and beat with electric mixer.
2. Slowly add in sugar and mix.
3. Add in egg 1 by 1 and mix.
4. Add in vanilla
5. Add in Self-raising flour (can split in 3 times)
6. Add milk
7. Take out 1/4 cake batter and mix it with coco mixture.
8. Pour in the 3/4 cake batter into cake tray.
9. Slowly added the coco mixture on top, take a skewer or chopstick to swirl it :)
10. Bake for 35 min... and Done!!

Another way is divide the batter into 1/2, mix the coco with the other 1/2 batter, then scoop in the cake batter with the mixing of 2 color.. but i just too l lazy to do that. :p