Money Bags

I first had this food in a Thai restaurant back in Kuala Lumpur.  It is normally served as an entree, which means it comes in a small plate of 4 pieces.  Which also means, you can just have one per person.  Sigh!  So good but too small a portion for my appetite.  It was so delicious and crunchy I just had to cook it at home - so that I can get enough of it to eat.

It is actually deep fried wontons.  I normally do not like wontons, something about the slimy feel as it goes down the throat kinda puts me off eating too much.   But this !  This is deep fried and crunchy.  Yummy!

Money Bags

Ingredients

200 g mince (chicken or pork)

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 tsp Chinese wine

Wonton wrappers

Method

1.     Mix mince with salt, pepper and Chinese wine.

2.     Put half a teaspoon on a wonton wrapper.  Wrap up tightly.  Do the same

        till finish.

3.     Heat up oil for deep frying.  Fry money bags in batches until cook.  Drain

        on paper towels.

4.     Serve with sweet chilli sauce. 

P.S.  If you like, you can add in oyster sauce or soy sauce. 

         To make it crunchier, you can also add chopped up carrots or

         water chestnuts.

Green Tea Chiffon Cake

It's been a while since I updated my blog.  With all the Chinese New Year food and cookies that was consumed by my family and me, I thought I would give our stomachs a rest. Otherwise, we would all look as chubby and satisfied as my cat.

I am happy to note that fellow foodies are still visiting my blog, despite lack of new postings.  I know I was supposed to post the Pandan Chiffon Cake recipe, as stated in my previous post.  I will have to delay that in lieu of this new Green Tea Chiffon Cake recipe that I recently found.  Let me know what you think of this chiffon cake.

GREEN TEA CHIFFON CAKE

Ingredients: (20cm tube pan)

(A)  4 egg yolks
      40g castor sugar
      pinch of salt
      1 tbsp honey

(B) 4 tbsp corn oil
     80ml warm water + 3 tsp green

     tea powder
     3 tsp vanilla essence

(C) 100g cake flour
     3/4 tsp baking powder

(D) 4 egg whites
     1/2 tsp cream of tartar
     50g castor sugar

Method:

1. Cream ingredients (A) till sugar dissolved.

2. Add in ingredients (B) in the respective order and mix well before adding

    the next item.

3. Sieve in ingredients (C) and mix till there are no lumps.

4. Beat egg whites with electric beater till frothy, sprinkle in the cream of

    tartar.  Beat till white in colour and add in sugar by thirds.

5. Pour egg white mixture into yolk mixture and mix well.

6. Put batter into a chiffon cake pan and bake at 170C - 180C for 40-45

   minutes 

7. When the cake is cooked, remove from oven and  invert cooked cake on a

    wire rack to cool for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove cake from cake pan and

    leave aside to cool completely.

P.S.   If you like it sweeter, you can add more sugar.  Comment from the  
         taste testers at home was more sugar needed.  They must be    
         missing my chocolate glazing from the Orange Chiffon cake.

Orange Chiffon Cake

It's the first day of Autumn today.  Hopefully, it will mean cooler temperatures.  The past month has been very hot and humid in Sydney, just like dear old KL. 

I tried out this beautiful chiffon cake recipe last week.  Been meaning to make chiffon cakes but could not find any cake tins for it.  The cake tin is quite unique, higher than  a normal cake tin and with a tube in the center.  In fact, it has even got a unique name - a tube pan.  I finally got my tube pan, courtesy of my sister Lilian who sent it over from KL.  And so, ta- da ! here is my orange chiffon cake.

Doesn't look too orange, does it ?  Chiffon cake is actually very good for health conscious foodies who love cakes but not the fat content.  There is no butter, only corn or vegetable oil. If you leave it in its original condition, then it's pretty healthy.  Rather like a sponge cake.  You can either leave it original or cover it liberally and sinfully with chocolate topping, like I did.

Ingredients

4 oz flour

5 egg whites

5 egg yolks

3 ½ oz sugar

2 oz cooking oil

1 ½ tsp baking powder

3 oz orange juice

1 ½ tsp grated orange rind

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp cream of tartar

Orange essence

Method

1.         Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and half of the sugar till very stiff.

2.         Mix egg yolks with flour, baking powder, oil, orange juice, grated  

            orange rind and remaining sugar.  Mix till smooth.

3.         Pour egg yolk mixture gradually over egg whites, folding in just until

            blended.

4.         Pour into ungreased tube pan.  Bake at 170 degree C for 35 minutes.

5.         Once cooked, invert tube pan and leave to cool.

Topping

Melt chocolate over low heat.  You can slice the cake into 2 or 3 layers.  Spread a thin layer of chocolate on each layer.  Arrange the layers on top of each other. Spread more chocolate over chiffon cake and sprinkle with crushed roasted peanuts.

P.S.   Chiffon cake comes in many flavours.  In KL, the pandan chiffon cake    
is one of the more popular choice.  I did make pandan chiffon
cake  earlier but frankly, I forgot to take photos.  The cake was
finished before I remembered.  That will be posted next time.

Jin Dui (Sesame Glutinous Balls)

Phew!  Just uploaded 2 recipes which were long overdue.  I had posted photos of them earlier on but did not have time to do up the recipes.

Been rather busy testing out new ones like this Jin Dui.  I recently found out that Hongkong Chinese like to have them during Chinese New Year, besides the normal yum cha time.  I don't remember Jin Dui during CNY in KL but rather at the markets for morning breakfast. 

Due to popular requests from my Hongkong friends, I had a go at the Jin dui recipe and found that it turned out pretty well.   I hope my HK friends will be as pleased as I am with the result.  Samples have been issued for taste testing purposes and orders are being compiled even as this is being posted.



Makes about 30

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup glutinous rice flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup warm water

6  oz red bean paste
2/3 cup white sesame seeds
Oil for frying

Method

1.   Mix sugar and warm water till dissolved.

2.   Add into glutinous rice flour in a large mixing bowl.  Knead the mixture  

      until thoroughly combined.

3.   Knead the dough into small balls and then roll each ball into a flat round

      shape. Spoon a bit of red bean paste into each flattened round as a

      stuffing  and knead the dough back into a round ball.

4.   Coat the balls with cold water, then cover thoroughly with the sesame 

       seeds.

5.    Over moderate heat, warm a pan of oil that is deep enough to cover the

       sesame balls. Reduce the heat after the oil is warmed up.

6.    Deep fry the sesame balls on a low heat until the balls have puffed up. 

7.    Flatten constantly with ladle.  Fry till golden. Drain on paper toweling.

Yee Sang

Thank you to all foodies who have visited my blog.  Stats are showing that I have reached the 500 visitor mark.  To me, this is  a big achievement as I created this blog purely to share my love of food and my recipes.  Have any of you tried the recipes? I have tested and tweaked my recipes but would love to hear from any foodie who have tried them also.  Please send me your comments.

On the first day of CNY 2011, I tried out the recipe for Yee Sang or Lo Hei.  It was an amazing success.  Pretty similar to the ones sold in KL. 

Ingredients

1) 1 carrot, skin peeled
2) 1 small white radish (daikon), skin peeled
3) 1 cucumber
4)  2 tbsp Japanese red pickled ginger

5)  Turnip

6)  Coriander

7)  Pomelo peeled and sacs separated, about 50g
8)  Wonton skin

Garnish

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped finely
1 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder

a small dash of Chinese white ground pepper
1 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil

Sauce

5 tbsp Chinese plum sauce

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp apricot jam

2 tbsp honey

Method

1.  Grate carrot, white radish,  cucumber, papaya and turnip into long shreds. 

     Cut pickled ginger into long strips.

2.  Arrange all vegetables into a big round plate.

3.  Place garnish ingredients on top of vegetables.

4.  Mix sauce ingredients and pour it on top.

5.  Using chopsticks, mix and toss up ingredients as high as possible for  

     loads of  luck. 

Enjoy!

P.S.   I have not added fish as none of us like the fishy smell.  You can always

          add slices of salmon if you wish.

Pineapple Tarts

This is another of my favourite Chinese New Year cookie.  I have made these tarts many times while in KL.  This is the first time I am making it in Sydney.  It turned out so beautifully.  This recipe makes about 138 pieces.

Ingredients for the Jam

2 pineapples

250 gm granulated sugar (1 ¼ cup)

5 cloves

Dash of cinnamon powder

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method

1.  Skin pineapple and cut flesh into chunks.  Puree in blender.  Drain pureed

     pineapple in sieve to drain off juice. 

2.  Place drained pineapple flesh in a non stick pan.  Add lemon juice, cloves

     and cinnamon.

3.  Place pan over medium heat and cook.  Add sugar. Stir constantly for  

     about  ½ to 1 hr. Cook till pineapple jam is sticky and golden colour.

Ingredients for the pastry

2 eggs

11 oz butter

18 oz flour

½ tsp baking powder

Method

1.   Beat egg.  Mix butter, baking powder and flour using rub-in method.

2.   Add in beaten egg.

3.   Roll out dough, cut into shapes using pineapple tarts cutter.

4.   Add pineapple jam, decorate with strips of dough.

5.   Brush face of tarts with egg wash.

7.   Bake in oven at 180 degree C for 15 minutes.

Peanut Dainties

Gong Xi Fa Cai!!

It has been a very hot  week in Sydney, which was not very conducive in making cookies for the New Year.  I have to persist, though, otherwise there would not be any cookies to celebrate Chinese New Year with. 

Here are my delicious Peanut Dainties.

Ingredients

8 oz peanuts, ground

6 oz icing sugar, sifted

12 oz flour, sifted

1 ¼ cup peanut cooking oil

1 egg yolk, to glaze

Peanut halves to decorate

Method

1.    Mix peanuts, icing sugar and flour in bowl.  Stir well.

2.    Add oil to mixture.  Mix until dough is formed.

3.    Take a small piece of dough and roll into a small ball. Flatten slightly.

4.    Continue till all dough is used up.

5.    Brush tops of peanut cookies with beaten egg yolk.  Decorate with peanut

        halves.

6.    Bake at 180 deg C for 20 minutes.



P.S.  Try to make small little balls so that it's bite size.   Enjoy!!