Steamed wholemeal pumpkin bun

Ingredients

600g plain flour

300g wholemeal flour

250g pumpkin ( steamed and mashed)
300g brown sugar
5 tsp dried yeast
350 ml warm water
5 tbsp olive oil

30pcs white square paper

Preparation
1. Put all the ingredients (except water) into a mixing bowl. Add in water bit by bit and knead dough slowly until smooth.

2. Cover with a piece of damp cloth and set aside for 1 1/2 hours.

3. When the dough rises to double the size, punch out the air with knuckles.

4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute.

5. Cut into 30 portions and lightly roll each portion into round shape and place it on the white square paper.

6. Arrange the buns in the steamer with gaps in between as they will expand further during steaming. Set aside for about another 10-15 minutes for them to rise.

7. Steam for 15-20 minutes.

8. Release the cover of steamer slightly for a while before taking out the steamed buns. Do not leave the buns in steamer for too long as the water condensed from the cover will drip onto the buns.

Pumpkin bun

Ingredients

500g plain flour

150g mashed pumpkin

2 1/2 tsp yeast

2 1/2 tbsp Olive oil

2 1/2 tbsp sugar

pinch of salt

185 ml water

Fillings

400g lotus paste (divide into 24 portions)

24 pcs white paper ( 4cm x 4cm)

Preparation

1. Put all the ingredients (except water) into a mixing bowl. Add in water bit by bit and knead dough slowly until smooth.

2. Cover with a piece of damp cloth and set aside for 1 1/2 hours.

3. When the dough rises to double the size, punch out the air with knuckles.

4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute.
5. Cut dough into 24 portions and lightly roll into round shapes.

6. Flatten a piece of dough in the palm and place filling in the center. Gather the edges and press together and close last fold by twisting.

7. Use the back of a bread knife to cut lines (as shown) on each bun.

* You may use a piece of thick thread to cut the lines too.

8. Place the buns on white square paper and arrange them in the steamer with gaps in between as the buns will expand further during steaming. Set aside for about another 10-15 minutes for them to rise.
9. Steam for 15-20 minutes.

10. Release the cover of steamer slightly for a while before taking out the steamed buns. Do not leave the buns in steamer for too long as the water condensed from the cover will drip onto the buns.

Simple belachan Fried brown rice

Ingredients

3 cups overnight brown rice

150g lean meat (shredded and marinated with 1 tbsp cornflour and 1 tbsp light soya sauce)

1 small carrot ( shredded)

100g french bean ( cut into small pieces)

2 eggs (beaten)

2 tbsp dried prawn ( soaked and pounded lightly)

2 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp belachan powder

pinch of salt

dash of pepper

2 shallots ( sliced)

oil

Preparation

1. Marinate meat with 1 tbsp cornflour and 1 tbsp light soya sauce.

2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan and swirl to coat. When the pan is hot, add egg and scramble it. Remove and set aside when egg is cooked.

3. Heat 3 tbsp oil in pan and stir fry shallot until fragrant. Add in dried prawn to stir fry for while.

4. Put in meat to stir fry, followed by the carrot and french bean.

5. Add in brown rice and spread it evenly on top of the other ingredients (Do not mix). Cover to simmer over medium low flame for 3 minutes ( This is because overnight brown rice is very hard and dry).

6. If the brown rice is freshly cooked, omit No5.

7. Add in oyster sauce, light soya sauce, salt, pepper and belachan powder. Stir fry over high flame for about 5 minutes.

8. Return the scrambled egg and stir fry to mix well.

9. Dish up to serve.

Chinese rolls (花卷）

Ingredients

500g plain flour

2 1/2 tsp yeast

2 1/2 tbsp oilve oil

2 1/2 tbsp sugar

pinch of salt

250 ml water

24 pcs white paper ( 4cmX4cm)

Preparation
1. Put all the ingredients (except water) into a mixing bowl. Add in water bit by bit and knead dough slowly until smooth.
2. Cover with a piece of damp cloth and set aside for 1 1/2 hours.

3. When the dough rises to double the size, punch out the air with knuckles.

4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute. Divide the dough into 2 portions.

5. Roll each portion out into rectangular shape of about 1/2 cm thick.

6. Fold into half and cut into 12 pieces.

7. use a chopstick to press in the middle of a piece of dough.

8. Fold the dough along this depression and pull lightly to about double its length. Twist it as you pull....

9. Bring the two ends together..... and "tie" a knot.

10. Place on a piece of white paper.

11. Arrange the buns in the steamer with gaps in between as the buns will expand further during steaming.

12. Set aside for about another 10-15 minutes for them to rise.

13. Steam for 15-20 minutes.
14. Release the cover of steamer slightly for a while before taking out the steamed buns. Do not leave the buns in steamer for too long as the water condensed from the cover will drip onto the buns.

15. Chinese rolls are plain in taste; they are served with other main dishes, like braised pork..... .

* Another way of folding a chinese roll:

1. Fold into half first. Then fold another time as shown in 2nd picture below.

2. Put a chopstick in the middle. Hold the two ends together and pull+twist...

3. As you pull and twist, bring the ends back to where the chopstick is. Pull out the chopstick and press the ends in it.

Crepes with blueberry jam

Ingredients

1/2 cup (60g) flour

2 eggs

1 cup (250ml) milk

2 tsp castor sugar

oil

blueberry jam

Preparation

1. Mix flour, eggs, milk and sugar in a container. Beat or whisk well to blend well.

2. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Lightly spray with oil. Pour some batter into the pan and swirl to make sure it evenly covers the base of pan thinly.

3. Cook for about half a minute. Turn it over when the underside turns a bit golden and cook the other side for another half a minute.

4. Repeat to finish the batter.

5. Fold the ready crepes and serve warm with blueberry jam

* Milk may be replaced with skim milk (lower calories).

Lotus bun

Ingredients
200g plain flour

200g lotus paste

1 tsp yeast

1 tbsp oilve oil

1 tbsp sugar

pinch of salt

100 ml water

10 pcs white paper (3cmx3cm)

Preparation

1. Put all the ingredients (except water) into a mixing bowl. Add in water gradually and knead dough slowly until smooth.
2. Cover with a piece of damp cloth and set aside for 1 1/2 hours.

3. When the dough rises to double its size, punch out the air with knuckles and knead again for about 1 minute.

4. Divide the lotus paste into 1o portions. Roll into round balls.
5. Cut into 10 portions and lightly roll each piece into round shape.
6. Take a piece of dough and flatten it on palm. Put filling in the center and gather the edges.

7. Close last fold by twisting and place it on white square paper.
8. Arrange the buns in the steamer with gaps in between as the buns will expand further during steaming. Set aside for about another 10-15 minutes for them to rise.

9. Steam for 15-20 minutes.

10. Release the cover of steamer slightly for a while before taking out the steamed buns. Do not leave the buns in steamer for too long as the water condensed from the cover will drip onto the buns.
11. Serve hot.

Dorayaki

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

4 tbsp milk/water

1 1/2 tbsp syrup

1 tbsp salad oil/olive oil

150g red bean paste

Preparation

1. Sieve flour, baking powder and baking soda together.

2. Whisk eggs and sugar together until the mixture thickens. Add honey, milk and oil. Blend well.

3. Add in flour and whisk to mix well.

4. Heat up a non-stick pan. Dip kitchen tissue in oil and grease the pan. Make sure there is no excess oil in the pan or the colour of dorayaki would not be even.

5. Cook a small ladleful of batter in the centre of pan over medium-low fire. Leave it to cook without swirling the pan.

6. When bubbles begin to burst at the surface, turn over to cook the other side of the pancake.

7. Cook for about another 1/2 minutes. ( if your pan is big, you can cook two or three together at a time).

8. Sandwich red bean paste between two pancakes and serve hot.

Chap Cai (Chinese mixed vegetables)

Ingredients

100g chicken fillet ( cut into thin slices )

1/4 cabbage ( cut into big square pieces)

1 small carrot ( cut into slices)

10 small chinese mushrooms ( soaked)

10 small black cloud fungus (云耳, soaked and cut )

10 pcs dried lily buds (soaked in hot water and tough stems removed)

4 pcs bean curd stick ( soaked in hot water and cut into 2-in lengths)

2 small bundle tang hoon (glass noodles)

2 cloves garlic ( chopped )

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp corn flour

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1/4 tsp salt

some oil

Preparation

1. Season the chicken fillet with 1 tbsp corn flour and 1 tbsp light soya sauce.

2. Put 2 tbsp oil into saucepan and stir fry garlic until fragrant. Add chicken and stir-fry till cooked.

3. Put in all the ingredients (except tang hoon ), oyster sauce, light soya sauce, salt and stir fry to mix well.

4. Add in 1 cup of water and cover to simmer over medium low fire for 15 minutes.

5. Add in tang hoon and cook for further 5 minutes or until tang hoon is cooked.

6. Dish out to serve.

* 1 tbsp dark soya sauce may be added to give this chap cai a darker look.

Sweet red beans and sago soup with tangerine

Ingredients

250g red beans

50g sago

200g rock sugar/brown sugar

2 pcs dried tangerine peel

5 pcs pandan leaves (tie together with a knot)

2 1/2 litre water

Preparation

1. Wash and soak red beans overnight.

2. Put red beans, pandan leaves and tangerine peel into a pot containing 2.5 litre water. Bring to boil over high flame.

3. Turn to medium-low flame and boil for about 2 hours or until the red beans turn tender.

4. Wash and soak sago for 20 minutes.

5. When red beans are tender, add in rock sugar and sago to cook. Stir from time to time to see sago is cooked (sago turns translucent when cooked).

6. Discard tangerine peel and pandan leaves.

Easy Teriyaki Fish

Ingredients

2 pcs mackerel

1 tomato

1 stalk spring onion

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

3 tbsp teriyaki sauce

1 tbsp light soya sauce

oil

salt

Preparation

1. Heat 4 tbsp oil in saucepan. Stir fry the garlic until fragrant. Dish up the garlic (leave the oil) and set aside.

2. Put in the fish and cover to cook over high flame for 1 minute. Then turn to medium flame to cook for another 3 minutes. Turn over to cook the other side of the fish the same way.

3. Make sure the half-cooked fish is slightly brown before we add in the teriyaki sauce.

4. Add in 1 1/2 tbsp teriyaki sauce and cover to cook over low flame for 2 minutes until the sauce dries up.

5. Turn the fish over. Add the remainder 1 1/2 tbsp teriyaki sauce and cover to cook the same way.

6. Dish up onto a serving plate. Sprinkle over it the garlic and spring onion. Garnish and serve.

Home style taufu

Ingredients

2 pcs fried taufu ( cut into triangular shapes)

150g ground pork

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp light soya sauce

2 tbsp corn flour

1/2 tsp black bean paste

dash of salt

1 stalk spring onion (for garnishing)

Preparation
1. Put 1 tbsp soya sauce and 1 tbsp corn flour to marinate the ground pork .
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in saucepan and stir-fry garlic until fragrant.
3. Put in the ground pork to stir-fry. Add in tau fu, oyster sauce, salt and black bean paste. Stir-fry to mix well.

4. Add in 100 ml water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes over medium flame
5. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes over slow fire.

6. Mix 1 tsbp cornflour with 2 tbsp cornflour to thicken the gravy.

7. Dish up onto a plate to serve.