Ma Po Tofu ????

Lyanne's almost 8 weeks.. by this Wednesday she'll be. She's following her sister's footsteps by sucking on her thumb! Haih! Why don't they ever take on the pacifier instead?? I'd prefer them to be on the pacifier rather than the thumb, and the right thumb to be exact. Lyanne can smile now, when we talk to her, she'll react by smiling. Meanwhile Lydia is trying to carry her.. she can't of course! When we hold Lyanne in our arms, she'll try to put her arms under her, as if she's carrying her. It's cute.

Ma Po Tofu. After reading on the internet, I found that the origin of this dish came from a granny who is a leper. Hence the name, Leper Granny Tofu.

This is my version. A little too dark, due to my aged bean paste.. I haven�t been using the bean paste for quite some time, and once the bottle�s opened, it starts to age and darken. And it�s not that easy to find hot bean paste in Malaysia, so I combine chili paste and bean paste to make up for it.
Not fiery hot, sorry to disappoint chili fans.

250 soft tofu, cubed
� cup minced pork /chicken
1 shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
� Tbsp fine bean paste (tau cheong)
1 tsp ground chili paste (cili giling, in Malay)
2 Tbsp chili sauce ( Maggi, Kimball or Heinz type)
� tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 cup water mixed with 1 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp oil

1. Heat wok on medium and put in oil. Saute chopped garlic and shallot until fragrant.
2. Add in bean paste and chili paste, stir until fragrant.
3. Put in minced pork. Stir until pork is cooked.
4. Put in cornstarch mixture, sesame oil, chili sauce, salt and sugar to taste.
5. When gravy has thickened, put in cubed tofu and simmer for another half minute.
6. Dish up and serve. Sprinkle on some chopped green onions for decoration.

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Cekodok ???

#25/6/2019 Updated: New Video below recipe

Cekodok is Malay banana fritters. Or some call it Jemput-jemput pisang. Jemput-jemput means fritters, but it can be type of jemput-jemput.
This is a nice tea time snack.
I like this, and not many that makes this to sell makes it nice. They put in too much flour. Flour is cheap...

It�s only nice when u eat homemade ones.
And my malay friends can never tell me the exact proportion of ingredients, they just say, lots of bananas, little bit of flour, sugar and a pinch of salt. Well, u know, when it�s a traditional recipe, most of them make it by just guesstimate, and they just know it when they mix it, they know the right consistency by experience. So, for me, I�ll just have to find the right proportion of ingredients.

The best bananas to use, Pisang Emas, it�s a Malaysian name which means golden banana, a small banana, sweet and fragrant. It� s a quarter the size of a Cavendish. If u�re from elsewhere, u can use other bananas, just make sure it�s really ripe and sweet.

And I found the proportion that I like, this time� just right�

300gm bananas (mashed with a fork)
90gm all purpose flour
1/4tsp baking soda
60gm sugar
Small pinch of salt
Oil for frying

1. Sift flour with baking soda. Mix with bananas, sugar and salt.
2. Drop teaspoonful of batter into hot oil.
3. Fry until brown, nicely caramelized colour.
4. Drain excess oil off fritters on kitchen towels.

******
U can try adding in freshly grated coconut into the batter. My malay colleague tells me it�s nice.
If u want to make the sugar optional to certain members of ur family, omit the sugar in the batter, and roll hot fritters in the sugar to coat it like a donut.

Chilling the batter before frying will make create a crispier crust.

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Steamed Chinese Whitebait ????

Chinese Whitebait, or some call it Silver Anchovies, or baby anchovies, even blue eye anchovies..
Anyway, it's those teeny weeny white coloured dried mini anchovies.

My late father loves this simple dish. My late grandaunt taught me how to make this.

Very simple to make:

Ingredients
50gm mini anchovies (rinsed and drained)
1 tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 Tbsp finely chopped red chili
1 Tbsp finely chopped garlic

Mix everything together and steam for 10 minutes or just put plate on top of rice when water in rice cooker is reduced.

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Guinness Chicken ???

I haven't been cooking often lately. Eating out mostly, cos I know when the burger bun is out from the oven... it's home cooking everyday.
BTW, my gynae calls the female genitalia that we see in ultrasound scans, hamburger effect. Two pcs of bun with a slit in the middle... Muahahaha! So, wonder if the male genitalia will be called hotdog effect. Duh!

Let me tell u, this is yummy!

I came across Guinness Stout Pork Ribs in Chinese restaurants in recent years.. And I want to replicate it. And I've got chicken wings in the freezer and hubby just opened a bottle of Guinness Stout... Yah! Gimme some stout!

Ingredients:

6 chicken wings (middle and drummets seperated)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup Guinness Stout or whatever stout

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 cup oil for frying

Method:

1. Marinate chicken wing with salt and worcestershire sauce for half hour at least.

2. Fry in oil until golden, but not dry.

3. Discard frying oil and retain 1 Tbsp oil in wok. Put in stout and cook to reduce a bit.

4. Put in sugar, soy sauce and chicken wings and further cook until gravy almost dries up.

*****

you can use pork ribs

*****

I'm going to try doing a non alcoholic version using malta.. wonder if it'll be good.

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ABC Soup (ABC ?)

This post is for u, Ai Yieng..

This can be said as the unofficial favourite soup of the Malaysian Chinese. It's like, people who won't or can't cook will at least know how to do this soup, cos they love it so much.

It's not Alphabet soup, it's like chicken broth... except with no celery, and it can be done with either pork bones/ribs or chicken.

Very easy

Ingredients

300gm pork ribs/bones or chicken breast with bones on

1 cup potato cubes (use boiling potatoes, never use Russet!!)

1 carrot, cut slanting

2 medium sized tomatoes, quartered

1 large red onion, or 2 med red onion, quartered

10 white peppercorns, smashed

2L water

1/2 tsp salt, or more

Method
1. Scald pork. If using chicken, leave it raw.

2. Boil water, put in pork/chicken, all the vegetables and peppercorns.

3. Simmer on med low heat for 2 hours. Turn off the heat and add salt in last.

**

This soup is very flavourful, therefore not much salt is needed. Do not add in salt too early, if not the potatoes will soak up the salt, and they will end up salty, and the soup tasting bland.

Don't cook this soup with a slow cooker, it's not tasty!!!

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Chinese Chives Omelette ????

There was once in my life, during uni days... when I was left with just RM50 for the whole month for food and petrol for my bike. I didn't have the guts to ask for more from mom, cos I overspent through out the semester.

What to do??? I had to make do with just RM1 a day for food.

What can I eat with RM1/day?? Instant noodles? Nah, not a balanced meal, can't even afford to add in an egg..it'll add up the cost.

The solution? Plain rice porridge with omelette! Eggs during that time, cost less than 20 sen each, and 50 sen chinese chives is sufficient for 4 meals.... So, I'll make 2 big bowls of plain rice porridge for my 2 meals/day, accompanied by this omelette.... OKOK.. I didn't eat this for a month..but I'd say 50% of the time. I made other omelettes as well, preserved radish, onion, and my favourite, remains to be this one.

And at the end of the month, I was left with RM17.. even after paying for my bike's petrol! What a feat! But I dun think I want to challenge myself this way again. It wasn't voluntary.

I learnt to add in dried shrimps to this omelette from my sis in law's sister. It adds a whole lot of difference to the omelette.

Ingredients:

100gm Chinese Chives

3 eggs

1/3 tsp salt

1 tsp dried shrimp, very finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely minced

3 Tbsp oil

Method:

1. Cut chinese chives into very short lengths... about 7-10mm.

2. Heat 2 tbsp oil and put in garlic and dried shrimp, fry until fragrant and slightly golden.

3. Put in chinese chives and stir fry until fragrant.

4. Dish up and mix well with 1 Tbsp oil, eggs and salt.

5. Pour a thin layer of egg mixture onto a frying pan and spread it well.

6. Fry omelette until golden.

**

I like my omelette really thin..... Mine is 2-4mm thick only. Thin ones are nice for porridge, but u may make them thicker to eat with rice.

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Mango Pudding ????

If you like Cocon's Mango Pudding, you'll like this one.

Before Konnyaku Jelly came into the market, I was scratching my head..... How come the commercial packaged puddings have this springy texture that we can never achieve with gelatine, or agar or whatever....... Now I know.

I looked at the packaging, and tried to figure out the ingredients to make a copycat version.. and I finally got it.

I made loads of this for my home church's fund raising event, and it sold like hot cakes... No one could figure out how to make this.. Now, I'm revealing the secret.

Ingredients

10gm konnyaku powder (no malic acid added)

200gm sugar

1.5L water

100 gm creamer powder (coffeemate)

200ml mango concentrate ( Tesco Value, or Sun-Up will best replicate the taste)

Nata de coco (as much as u want)

Method:

1. Mix sugar and konnyaku powder together

2. Boil water, then add in creamer. Stir to dissolve.

3. Slowly spoon in sugar mixture.

4. Stir well, and let simmer for 10 minutes on low fire, stirring once in a while

5. Fill moulds with Nata de Coco with desired amount.

6. Turn off fire and pour in mango concentrate. Stir.

7. Pour jelly mixture into moulds. Chill well before serving.

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Maggi Goreng (?Maggi ?)

In Malaysia, many brand names have turned to become generic names..

Diapers ... Pampers

Correction fluid... Liquid Paper

Photostat.... Xerox

Plastic containers.... Tupperware

and instant noodles are called Maggi noodles.. Maggi Meen in Cantonese, and very curly hair is called Maggi hair

So, if one is ordering maggi goreng (fried instant noodles) at the mamak(Indian Muslim) eateries, sometimes, it may be noodles of some other brand... well, no need to be at mamak... even at home.. Maggi Meen la!!!

Different mamak shops will have different versions of maggi goreng.. and I fell in love with the first version I came across from a mamak shop called Mubaruk in Kampar. My friends and I used to go to this shop after our Girls' Brigade meetings on saturday mornings.. so, this noodle dish sort of reminds me of the good old times. I watched the mamak guy cook it..so I copied it.. hehehe

Ingredients

1 packet of instant noodles (curry flavour)

1 Tbsp sliced onion

2 Tbsp sliced tomato

1 stalk choy sum (cut short lengths)

1 egg

2 Tbsp oil

1. Boil a saucepan of water and cook noodles until just soft (it'll still retain it's square shape). Cut noodle cake in half.

2. Heat wok and put in oil.

3. Fry onion until softened, put in tomato, fry until fragrant (it'll turn mushy)

4. Put in choy sum and stir.

5. Put in cooked noodles and stir well.

6. Sprinkle in seasoning from noodle pack. Stir well.

7. Push noodles to the side of wok and break in an egg. Stir and push noodles back onto egg.

8. Stir and toss for 1-2 minutes, until noodle becomes very fragrant.

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Wintermelon Tea ???

Days are hot...

Wintermelon tea is a nice drink to cool down a bit

There's this Malaysian brand of drinks called Yeo's and to me, they make the best asian beverages (in packaged form, of course)

And they do have Wintermelon Tea as well... rather pricey.. About RM4 (depends on where u buy) for half a dozen of 250ml packs.

Well, I decided to try and make mine... all for less than RM8 for 4L of Wintermelon tea or more.

To make a less sweet version, just wash (or even soak in cold water) the dried wintermelon pieces to get rid some of the sugar.. if u prefer sweeter, just leave them as they are. Don't cut on on the wintermelon if u want it less sweet, that way, u'll cut on the aroma too...

Ingredients:

3 cups dried wintermelon pieces (washed and sliced thinly to release flavour)

1/2 cup dried longan

5 L water (the dired wintermelon will soak up a lot, and you'll be left with about 4L

Method:

Bring water to a boil and put in dried longan and wintermelon slices. Simmer for 1 hour.

Strain the beverage and leave to cool before chilling in the fridge.

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Honey Chicken Wings ?????

When I was in Form 4 or 5, after MYF each Friday, my friends and I always frequent this eatery called Little House in Tapah, which is 20 minutes drive away from Kampar. They serve these Honey Chicken Wings of which I believe were not barbequed, but fried and tossed in honey gravy.. so, here�s a recreation of what reminds me of my Friday nights.


Honey Chicken Wings Recipe

4 Chicken Wings
� tsp salt
A good dash of pepper

2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 cup oil to fry wings

1. Cut wings to separate the middle wing and the drummets.
2. Marinate with salt and pepper for at least half an hour.
3. Fry chicken wings in oil until slightly golden, no need to be too dry.
4. Pour away oil and leave behind 1 tbsp of oil.
5. Put in honey and soy sauce and cook on low heat until it turns syrupy.
6. Put back in the fried wings and toss with medium heat until gravy coats wings well and turns carameled

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Almond Puff Fingers ???

These are called Almond puff pastry if you ever see them in Baker�s Cottage (a Msian bakery chain). I prefer calling them almond puff fingers, as they are finger sized.

This is a copycat version of those found in Baker�s Cottage. Not as buttery as theirs, as mine uses frozen store bought puff pastry. More convenient!!! Sacrificing on flavour.... 'sigh'

I tried this 2 times, doing it better the 2nd time around. First time, the top was a bit chewy because I used pure egg white and Hub said it�s not sweet enough. 2nd time, I mixed the egg white with sugar and it tasted similar with the ones bought from BC.. 2 thumbs up from Hub.

1 pack puff pastry
2 Tbsp egg white
2 Tbsp fine sugar (not icing sugar)
80gm almond flakes
2 Tbsp fine sugar

Method:
1. Roll out pastry in between 2 sheets of plastic to thickness of 5mm.
2. Mix egg white with 2 Tbsp sugar.
3. Peel upper sheet of plastic and spread egg white mixture evenly on top of pastry.
4. Sprinkle almond flakes all over pastry.
5. Replace top sheet of plastic and lightly roll to press almonds onto pastry.
6. Remove upper plastic sheet and sprinkle remaining sugar over almonds.
7. Put pastry into the freezer for half an hour to set the topping.
8. Preheat oven to 180C(fan)/200C.
9. Cut pastry into finger sized pieces. ( I cut up 40 pcs of them ) Place them onto a baking sheet. No need to grease baking sheet.
10. Bake for 12 mins on 180C and 30 mins on 140C.

*****
Period of baking varies depending on ovens. The first bake of 180C should end when the almonds achieve a very light golden colour and the pastry is well risen. 2nd bake of 140C is to make it crunchy. You may need to bake it longer if it�s still not crunchy enough. But raising it to 150C may produce a slightly browner colour. Do what you may think is suitable for your preference of colour.



Almond flakes sprinkled onto rolled out pastry that had been applied with egg white and sugar


Sprinkle on more sugar...


Cut them up into finger sized pieces


All puffed up and ready to be munched!!!

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

180C baked 15 mins

I first made this based on Van Houten�s chocolate chip wrapper when I was 17� My friends nicknamed my cookies Famous Wendy. Well, they said, it tasted similiar with Famous Amos.

Last year I had to made huge amounts for a fund raising event.. So, I experimented with ways to skimp on the ingredients, and to use up ingredients per batch by the packaging.. but yet.. making a delicious cookie.. It doesn't taste that similar anymore.. but still, good..

So, here�s my much skimped recipe. It spreads a little

250gm butter
330 gm brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
250gm choc chip
500gm flour
2 tsp baking powder

And here�s one that I changed a bit again for own consumption.. as I found the original recipe (Van Houten's) a bit too oily..and this recipe doesn't spread much

250gm butter
200 gm brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
500gm chocolate chips
100gm coarsely chopped almonds
400gm flour
2 tsp baking powder.

Method:
1. Cream butter and sugar together.
2. Add in egg, vanilla, and salt and mix until well combined. This is the wet mixture.
3. Sift flour and baking powder together. Mix with choco chips and almonds. This is the dry mixture.
4. Put the dry mixed ingredients into the wet mixture and combine well.
5. Scoop 1 tsp of cookie dough onto baking sheet, leaving some space in between each cookie.
6. Bake at 180C for 15mins (for browner finish, but more fragrant) or 170C for 16 mins for a lighter colour.

******

I like mine having a rugged surface rather than a smooth round patty.. So, I just spoon them.

These fair ones are baked 170C for 16 mins

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Hyacinth Bean Soup

23/1/2017 : Correction:
The bean featured in this recipe was previously named wrongly as Lima bean. The actual name is Hyacinth Bean

I haven't been cooking much since June... most of the postings nowadays are back posts of what I've done in the previous weeks. Well, when one has a bun in the oven, there are always excuses that can be made at every corner, anytime, to be lazy.. kekekekeke...

Lima is five in Malay language.. This is not a Five Bean Soup..

In Cantonese it's called "pang mei dau". I think it's called lima bean, as that is the closest that I can get from the internet. It is a bean about 3-4 inches long, pale green colour with a matte surface in the shape of an eyebrow.

This is my grandaunt's favourite soup and she'll eat a lot of the beans because she believes this bean enhances our eyesight, and with that she claims the reason for her being able to thread a needle at 90.

1 1/2 cup lima beans (correction : Hyacinth Beans)

300gm pork ribs or just meat (scalded)

10 peppercorns

1.5L boiling water.

Salt to taste

Trim the beans by discarding the top bits and pull away the top ligament.

Boil water, put in everything to simmer for 2 to 3 hours.

the Lima Bean.. I think

The beans are out of the pod after being boiled...

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Patin Masak Pedas (Silver Catfish in Hot Gravy)

One good thing about moving to Kuala Kangsar is � Abundant fresh river catches at very reasonable prices.

Every Saturday morning there is this Pasar Tani (Farmer�s Market) nearby where I stay. There�re 2 stalls that sell live river fish� still alive and swimming around. If u can�t stand the sight of the fish mongers killing them by banging them on the head�..don�t look. It does look brutal.

One swimming Patin goes for RM8/kg. I know it�s more expensive than Tesco (less than RM4/kg)..but hey, this is alive and it�s from Perak River� not ikan lombong (mining pool fish).. very nice and sweet.

I was introduced to this dish when I was in Selancar, Pahang, by Pak Yob.. the canteen man of my first school (as a teacher)

Ingredients:-

500 gm ikan patin

A)
3 pieces asam keping (tamarind fruit pieces) or more, depending on the maturity of the fruit, the younger, the more u'll need
� tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 bunga kantan- halved (ginger flower)

B)
2 hot red chilies or more
3 shallots
2 cloves garlic
2 cm ginger
1 cup of water

Method:
1. Blend (B) in a blender.
2. Pour into a wok and bring to a boil.
3. Add (A) and fish.
4. Cook for 10 minutes or until fish is cooked.
5. Dish up.

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Ginger Onion Chicken Stir Fry ???

Ginger Onion Chicken Stir Fry (Geung Choong Gai) Recipe

A) 1 whole chicken leg, deboned and cut into small pieces
� tsp salt
A dash of Worcestershire sauce
A dash of pepper

B) � cup water
1 tsp cornstarch
1 Tsp soy sauce
Pinch of sugar

4 cm ginger, thinly sliced
1 cup green onion stalks, cut into 5 cm long, green and white separated

2 Tbsp oil

Method:
1. Marinate Chicken with (A) for 10 minutes
2. Mix (B) together
3. Heat wok until very hot. Put in oil. Saute white part of green onions and ginger until fragrant.
4. Pour in marinated chicken and stir fry until it is cooked, about 2 minutes.
5. Pour in (B) and cook until it thickens and add in remaining green onion stalks.
6. Stir until green onion wilts and dish up.

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Long Beans Rice ???

My mom taught me how to do this (conventional rice cooker method), but I improvised it with �. an additional egg� cos there�s always lots of oil left after frying the sausages, and the oil remains quite a lot even after cooking the beans.. So, I soaked up the oil (plus flavours)with a scrambled egg�. and I'm cooking the rice in the microwave this time.

2 cups long beans ( cut into 2cm long, I cut 13 strings of beans)
1 chinese sausage (deskinned, sliced)
1 Tbsp dried shrimp (chopped)
1 egg
2 shallots (thinly sliced)
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1 � tsp salt

1 � cups rice
2 cups water (depends on the type of rice, but reduce it slightly as long beans release some moisture)

Method:
1. Heat wok with oil
2. Saute shallots until golden, dish up and drain off excess oil.
3. With remaining oil in wok, carefully fry Chinese sausage. Be careful not to burn them. When they are cooked, remove and put on a plate.
4. There should be oil in the wok, as sausages release oil when cooked. Use the same oil to saut� dried shrimp until very fragrant.
5. Put in long beans and stir fry for 1 minute or until cooked, but not soft. Put in dark soy sauce and salt. Mix well. Dish up.
6. Pour in egg into the same wok and scramble them (u can omit the egg, but I use the egg as a method to not waste the seasonings and oil.. haha).
7. Put rice and water into a covered casserole.
8. Microwave High 4 minutes, Med 6 minutes. Give rice a stir.
9. Pour in everything (sausages, eggs and long beans) except shallots. Spreading them evenly over rice.
10. Microwave again 2 minutes on high, 8 on medium.
11. Remove from microwave and sprinkle on shallots and mix up everything.
12. The rice is ready to be served.

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Silken Tofu with Oyster Sauce ?????

Ever sang Pease Porridge Hot???

Some like it hot, some like it cold, some like it in the pot, nine days old...

Haha.. this is not going to a 9 day tofu..

It's just that some like the tofu steamed hot, some like it fridge cold.

My mom's side of family likes it cold... and to them, steaming somehow makes the tofu slightly tougher.. Well, as u can see, when u steam tofu..some of its water content is released..which explained their reason.

Silken Tofu with Oyster Sauce Recipe

1 pc Silken Tofu (or smooth tofu, around 300gm)
2 Shallots (thinly sliced)
1 Tbsp dried shrimp (chopped)
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 Tbsp oil
Green onions and red chili for garnish

1. Place silken tofu onto a dish
2. Heat wok and put in oil.
3. Saute shallots on low heat until golden and crispy. Dish out. Retain oil.
4. Put in dried shrimp and fry for a minute or until very fragrant. Then add in oyster sauce.
5. Stir for a while and pour sauce over prepared tofu.
6. Sprinkle on crispy shallots.
7. Garnish with some chopped green onions and red chili.

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Chicken with Chinese Mushrooms ?????

Whenever this dish was cooked at my home (parent�s), the first thing that gets snapped up were the mushrooms and fungi. The chicken gets left behind� which is the other case when I cook this for my hubby. Different family with different taste buds..

Chicken with Chinese Mushrooms Recipe

1 chicken whole leg (cut small)
� tsp salt

6 dried shitake mushrooms
2-3 pieces of wood ear fungi (mook yee)
2 Tbsp cloud ears fungi (wan yee)

2 inch ginger (smashed with a cleaver)
1 clove garlic (chopped)
2 tbsp oil
1 cup water

2 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
� tsp sugar

� tsp cornstarch mixed with � cup water

Method:
1. Soak mushrooms and fungi in cold water until they soften. Clean and cut into small pieces. Cloud ears need not be cut, just trim off the ends.
2. Marinate chicken with salt for 15 minutes.
3. Heat wok and put in oil. Saute garlic and ginger until fragrant.
4. Put in chicken and stir fry until meat is browned.
5. Put in 1 cup of water and let simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Put in light and dark soy sauce and sugar.
7. Put in mushrooms and fungi. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
8. When gravy has evaporated to desired amount, put in cornstarch mixture.
9. When gravy has thickened, dish up and serve with rice.

************
Wood ears and cloud ears will enlarge about triple in size after being soaked.

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Watercress Soup ????

The Chinese boils watercress for soup or for a cooling drink (liang cha). While Westerners use raw watercress for salads and sandwiches.

Watercress in Malaysia is not suitable for use in salads or eaten raw. Because...... they are grown in water that is fertilized by sacks of chicken droppings soaked in the ponds they are grown in. This way... I don't think one will eat raw veg bathed in chicken s**t water.. hehehehe.. lots of bacteria, and they may have a few slugs stuck between the petioles..
But hey.. without those precious stuff from the chickens, u won't get those fat juicy watercress from Camerons..

Watercress Soup recipe
300gm soup bones or ribs
250 gm watercress
6 red dates, pitted
10 white peppercorns, crushed
1 tsp salt
1.5L water

1. Trim leaves and tip off the main stem of the water cress. Keep them seperately.
2. Scald soup bones or ribs.
3. Boil 1.5L water and put in the stems, bones, red dates and peppercorn and simmer on med low heat.
4. After and hour and a half of simmering, remove stems and put in the leaves and tips of watercress.
5. Simmer for another 30-45 minutes and season with salt.


***
Usually my grandaunt will throw the stems away after simmering, saying that they are tough to be chewed. But if I'm around, she'll leave them for me to eat.

I usually see other people cutting the water cress into 2 inches length and putting the whole watercress stems in to boil together with the leaves... hehehe.. but not the way my grandaunt taught me.. she just retained the leaves and tips to be put in at a later stage .

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Sweet and Sour Fish ???

Black pomfret, is the usual fish of choice for most of my friends� mothers to make this dish, and we usually call it, Tomato Sauce Fish (Keh Jup Yue). Malaysian style is done with a hint of chili in it. One of my favourite childhood dishes.

I used sole (ikan sebelah, or jor hou yue-left mouth fish) for this. It goes wonderfully well with this method of cooking.

Sweet and Sour Fish Recipe

1 piece of sole (abt the size of my palm)
� tsp salt
1 Tbsp corn starch
� cup cooking oil

1 red onion (halved and sliced)
1 red chili (seeded and cut into strips)

1 red tomato, cut into wedges

A)
3 Tbsp tomato ketchup
2 Tbsp chili sauce (maggi type)
1 Tbsp sugar
1/3 tsp salt
3/4 cup water

1. Run knife across the body of fish to create cuts into flesh, but not through the bone.
2. Marinate fish with salt for 10 minutes.
3. Rub cornstarch onto fish.
4. Heat oil in wok and pan fry fish until golden. Dish up.
5. Discard some of the oil and retain about 1-2 tbsp of oil.
6. Saute red onion and chili until fragrant and soft.
7. Mix A together and pour into wok. Bring to a boil. Put in tomato wedges. If more gravy is desired, add more water and some cornstarch.
8. Put fish back in for 10 seconds each side to soak up some gravy. Dish up and serve.

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