Skip to main content

Fried Tang Yuen ~ Winter Solstice Festival or Dongzhi 2013


The Winter Solstice Festival or 'Dongzhi' falls on  this Sunday, 22nd December.  Again, glutinous rice balls called tong yuen/tangyuen generally  with sweet fillings are eaten today.  For a change, I made them savoury this year, fried with minced meat.  It was well received by family members and I was happy as it was treated as a meal!






Recipe for Fried Tang Yuen

    Ingredients

    • 150 gm minced pork
    • 2 Shitake mushrooms, soaked, stemmed and diced
    • 30 gm dried shrimps, chopped
    • 250 gm tong yuen
    • 2 pips garlic, chopped
    • Spring onions, chopped
    • Sesame oil to drizzle
    Seasoning for the minced pork
    • 1 tsp each of light soya sauce, cornflour
    • 1/4 tsp each of seasalt, sugar
    • dash of pepper

    Method
    1. Heat up a pan with some oil, saute the chopped garlic till fragrant.
    2. Add in the dried shrimps, followed by the mushrooms and the marinated pork.  Sprinkle on some water and stir-fry till cooked.
    3. Meanwhile, cook the tong yuen with some boiling water.  Strain off water and add to the meat mixture.  Give it a good stir to mix well.
    4. Fine tune to taste.
    5. Toss in the spring onions, mix well.
    6. Drizzle on some sesame oil.
    7. Serve immediately.


    8. Have an enjoyable 'Dongzhi' with your loved ones. 
       I'll be taking a break over X'mas and the New Year.  See you all in 2014!
      And

      Here's Wishing everyone of you
       A Very Merry X'mas and A Blessed New Year!

Comments

  1. This is interesting, looks delicious! Happy Dong Zhi, Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to you too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it's delicious, something different from the norm. Merry X'mas and Happy New Year to you and your family too!

      Delete
  2. It reminds me of fried rice cake...but tang yuen sounds and looks even better!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now that you mentioned it....yes something like fried rice cake.

      Delete
  3. Hi Cheah, how I wish I can deviate in preparing Kuih Ee like this. Looks good like the Hakka Yam Abacus. Merry Christmas and a good new year ahead to you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, sometimes a deviation from the traditional can be exciting, Kimmy!

      Delete
  4. Happy Belated Dongzhi! Your friend tang yuen looks interesting. Frying give tang yuen a new twist and it reminds me of yam abacus seeds.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank yo, Veronica. Many of you share the same opinion that they resemble yam abacus seeds!

      Delete
  5. Oh, sound very good, like Hakka Yam Abacus! Happy Dongzhi to you..

    ReplyDelete
  6. so special...reminds me of that yam abacus bead dish! Merry christmas to you too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So many share the same opinion that it resembles the yam abacus! Merry X'mas and all the best for the New Year too!

      Delete
  7. That's interesting !
    Never tried fried tangyuan before. I often have sweet or savoury tangyuan in soup. Must try some time. Thanks for your idea.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Cheah , I love the idea of savoury tong yuen , so delish ! Sort of like rice cakes , right ? :D

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Merry X'mas and Happy New Year to you and your family too. Yes, round rice cakes!

      Delete
  9. Oh Cheah, I wish that I would have made my visit here sooner. I have been slowly learning about the Winter Solstice Festival and I am so intrigued by its tradition. Perhaps next year you will help me with a post on my blog for the season:)

    The festive rice balls look heavenly. Little sun balls of light:) Thank you so much for sharing...Enjoy your time off and Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Cheah,

    Wishing you and your loved ones a great 2014 ahead! Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for sharing .
    It looks yummy !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're most welcome and thanks for dropping by.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Thanks for dropping by. Please click on 'Anonymous' if you do not have a blog but do leave your name after the comment because I would like to know who you are.

Popular posts from this blog

Mini lime marmalade chiffon cake

These little chiffon cupcakes were made with lime marmalade.  Other than orange marmalade I've never come across lime marmalade and so this went into my shopping basket when I was in Perth last.  It's slightly more sour than orange marmalade but it's delicious when you have it with butter or peanut butter slathered on a slice of freshly baked bread or toast!

Kai Chai Paeng aka Little chicken biscuit

K ai Chai Paeng or 'Little chicken biscuit' was one of my father's favourite item to take away whenever we stopped by Bidor, a small town south of Ipoh on the way to Kuala Lumpur, long ago before the North-South Highway came into existence.  Those days, Bidor's famous restaurant, Pun Chun ,was like a half-way house whereby travellers would stop by for their signature 'Ngap thui meen' or duck thigh noodles. Pun Chun restaurant is right in the middle of town along the main road and has been in operation for 70 years and their Kai Chai Paeng were of the thick, doughy type made with lard and some pork but now they also have the thin and crispy version. Another small town, known as Kampar which is nearer to Ipoh is also famous for their thin and crispy version of  Kai Chai Paeng.  However,  I'm not too sure which town is the originator of these 'chickenless', unique but absolutely aromatic 'Little chicken biscuit'.

Braised Pork Ribs with Yam & Wood ear fungus

I bought this yam/taro from a wet market and the lady assured me that her yams are creamy when cooked.  She cut off a very small piece to justify her statement and true enough I saw some powdery substance on the knife.  It can be very frustrating when you end up getting a yam that's firm even when cooked for yams have a hardy taste with a minimal amount of sweetness.  But if you pair it up with some meat and fermented bean curd, the dish will be transformed into a tasty delicacy. Recipe for Braised Pork Ribs with Yam & Wood Ear Fungus Ingredients 750 gm Yam/Taro, peeled and cut into chunks 450 gm pork ribs, marinated with some seasalt 30 gm wood ear fungus, soaked, stemmed and cut into strips 2 pieces fermented beancurd (Nam Yue), mashed with some water 1 small knob ginger, smashed 5 cups water or more 1/2  tsp  dark soya sauce Salt and sugar to taste 2 tsp Shaoxing wine Method In a wok, saute th...