Natural yellow colour Ang ku kueh

Ingredients
400g glutinous rice flour
200g pumpkin (steamed and mashed)
300g mung bean paste ( green bean)
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
200 ml water
some banana leaves ( cut into circular shapes)

Preparation
1. The easiest way to steam pumpkin is to remove just the seeds and steam it with the skin for 30 minutes. Scoop out the cooked pumpkin and discard the skin.

2. Put glutinous rice flour, pumpkin, sugar, oil and water in a container and knead into a smooth dough. Cover with damp cloth and set aside.

3. Divide the mung bean paste into 15 to 20 portions (depending on the mould ) and roll them into "ball" shapes (you can make 20 using a smaller mould).
4. Roll a portion of the dough on the palm to form a round ball. Flatten it and add in a "mung bean ball".
( For procedure 1-5, refer to pictures for "Red bean ang ko kueh".

5. Seal the edges and spread a bit of oil over the dough and press it into the mould. Tap the mould lightly to loosen it onto a piece banana leave.








6. Steam over high flame for 10-15 minutes. Though the colour looks pale before steaming, you are surprised to see the end results.

7. Brush with a bit of oil to prevent sticking. Pumpkin gives the natural yellow colour and no artificial colouring is required.

Braised bitter gourd with fish fillet

Ingredients
1 small bitter gourd ( about 150g )
200g fish fillet ( I used mackerel )
1 shallot ( sliced )
1 stalk spring onion ( cut into 1" lengths)
5 slices ginger
1/2 tsp black bean paste
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soya sauce
2 tbsp corn flour
some salt

1. Cut the bitter gourd into thin slices. Rub it with some salt and leave it for 5 minutes ( to remove bitterness). Wash away the salt.
2. Marinate the fish fillet with 1 tbsp light soya sauce and 2 tbsp corn flour.
3. Heat up 2 tbsp oil in saucepan and stir fry the shallot until fragrant. Add in the ginger and bitter gourd.



4. Stir fry the bitter gourd for a while. Add in 50 ml water and cover to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the bitter gourd is almost cooked.







5. Put in the fish fillet and spring onion. Do not stir. Cover and leave it to cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add oyster sauce, black bean paste and stir fry to mix well.
7. Dish out and serve with rice.

Sweet glutinous rice ball with lotus paste fillings

Ingredients

160g glutinous rice flour

40g tang flour

1 cup water

2 tbsp oil

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

200g lotus paste

Preparation

1. Mix glutinous rice flour and tang flour in a container . Add in water and knead into a very soft dough.

2. Steam the dough ( in a greased container ) for about 10-15 minutes. Use fork to check whether it is fully cooked.

3. Divide the lotus paste into 12 portions and roll into round shapes.

4. Cool the dough and add the oil to knead.
5. Divide the dough into 12 portions. Remember to put some oil on your hands as the dough is very sticky.








6. Roll a portion on the palm and stretch it out to put in lotus paste filling.
7. Roll to form round shape and coat with desiccated coconut.







8. Peanut or red bean paste fillings tastes as nice as lotus paste. Try it out yourself.

Grandma's Ngo Hiong (五香) meat rolls

Ingredients A
500g minced pork
300g prawn ( chopped coarsely ) or fish paste
10 water chestnuts ( chopped coarsely)
2 egg yolks ( keep egg white for sealing the meat rolls)
3 pcs Jacob cream crackers ( pounded finely)
1 red chilli ( chopped finely, optional )
1/2 tsp five-spice powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
some pepper
2 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp sesame oil

Ingredients B
1 sheet bean curd skin ( cut into 16 pieces)
some cornflour to dust the skin

Preparation
1. Mix all ingredients A in a container. Set aside to season to 30 minutes.







2. Use damp cloth to wipe the bean curd skin or it will be very salty.








3. Put a bit of egg white and sprinkle a bit of cornflour on the bean curd skin. A bit cornflour makes the meat roll firmer to handle.







4. Scoop some pork mixture and put on the bean curd skin. Roll up and seal with egg white.








5. The two ends can be twisted, folded, or just simply seal them with some egg white without twisting or folding.
6. Heat up enough oil to deep fry the meat rolls.
7. When the skin is golden brown and crispy, dish out onto kitchen tissue to get rid of excess oil.
8. Slice to serve with chilli sauce.

Red bean "ang ku kueh"

Ingredients
400g glutinous rice flour
200g sweet potato (steamed and mashed)
300g red bean paste
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
300 ml water
some banana leaves ( cut into circular shapes)

Preparation
1. Put glutinous rice flour, sweet potato, sugar, oil and water in a container and knead into a smooth dough.
2. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside.







3. Divide the red bean paste into 15 portions and roll them into "ball" shapes.








4. Divide the dough into 15 portions.









5. Roll a portion of the dough on the palm to form a round ball. Flatten it and add in a "red bean ball". Seal the edges and spread a bit of oil before putting it on the banana leave.

6. Steam over high flame for 10-15 minutes.

7. Cool slightly before serving.

Thai seafood tom yam soup

Ingredients
150g fresh shrimps
150g fish fillet ( cut into rectangular slices)
10pcs button mushroom
1 tomato ( cut into wedges)
1 big onion ( cut into big pieces)
3 pcs Kaffir lime leaves ( daun limau perut )
3 slices lengkuas
2 stalks lemon grass ( use the top white portion )
1 red chill ( cut into small pieces)
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1/4 tsp salt
*some lime juice ( if you prefer sour taste)

Preparation
1. Boil 1 litre water in pot.
2. Add in all the ingredients except fish fillet and shrimps to boil for 15 minutes.
3. Put in the fish fillet and shrimps to boil until cooked.
4. Serve hot.

Sweet Potato "pink ku kueh" ( 喜板）

Ingredients
300 g sweet potatoes ( steamed and mashed)
600g flour
150g glutinous rice flour
250g brown sugar
2 tsp dried yeast
450 ml warm water
some oil
some banana leaves ( cut into circular shapes)

Preparation
1. Mix flour, glutinous rice flour, sugar and yeast in a big container.
2. Add water slowly and knead into a dough.







3. Add in the mashed sweet potatoes and continue to knead to form a soft and smooth dough.







4. Cover with a piece of damp cloth and set aside to proof for 2-3 hours.













5. Divide the dough into 25 portions. Put a bit of oil on the palm and roll each dough into a round shape ball.
6. Place it on the banana leave which is greased with a bit of oil.
7. Set aside for 15 minutes for it to rise.






8. Steam over high flame for 15 minutes.









9. Sweet potato makes this "pink ko kueh" soft and no colouring is required as the natural orange colour is very nice.

*"pink ko kueh" is the name of this "kueh" which is known to my children as it is normally pink in colour.

Note : Pumpkin "ko kueh" could be done the same way except that water is reduced to 200ml as pumpkin is very wet and watery after steamed. Bear in mind that pumpkin is not as sweet as sweet potato, I normally add extra 50g sugar.

Chinese chives dumplings (韭菜铰）

Ingredients
200g tang flour ( wheat flour)
100g rice flour
450 ml boiling water

300g chinese chives ( cut into small pieces )
100g prawn/pork ( chopped into small pieces)
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
pinch of salt
dash of pepper
some oil

Preparation
1. Sieve 200g tang flour and 100g rice flour into a big mixing bowl.
2. Boil 450ml water and pour in into the flour.






3. Stir quickly to mix well. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 10 minutes to cool.









4. Mix evenly the chinese chives, prawn/pork, sesame oil, oyster sauce, light soya sauce, pepper and salt in a bowl.









5. Add in 2 tbsp cooking oil to knead the dough when it is slightly cool . The dough has to be very sticky, i.e , sticking to your hands.







6. Put some flour on your palms ( avoid sticking ) and divide the dough into 25 pcs.
7. Take a piece of the dough and roll on your palm to form a ball. Press to flatten the ball to a thin round shape skin.






8. Put filling in the centre and seal up in the middle.








9. Boil some water in a steamer and steam for 10-15 minutes. The dumplings looked slightly transparent when cooked.







10. Brush the surface of the dumplings with a bit of cooking oil.
11. Serve hot.