No-Frills Recipes ... cooking, baking & excerpts on travel

This is another dish of juicy pork ribs steamed with ginger and black beans and the ingredients are more or less the same as per my previous post of  'Steamed pork spareribs with black beans' .  But I added sesame oil and 1 tsp of  Rose wine to marinate the pork ribs and another teaspoon onto the ribs once they are steamed.  The effect was just marvellous! Steamed pork ribs with ginger and black beans (2) ~ 豆豉姜蒸排骨   Ingredients 300 gm pork ribs 1/4 tsp sugar a pinch of salt 2 tsp or more RoseWine (1 tsp to season and 1 tsp to add on, after steamed) 1 tsp sesame oil  1 tsp chopped ginger 3 pips of garlic chopped 2 tsp cornstarch 2 tsp water 2 tsp black beans 2 birdeye chillies, chopped Method Season the pork ribs with the sugar, salt, Rose wine, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, cornstarch and black beans, for a few hours or preferably overnight. Place the marinated pork ribs on a plate and steam for about 8 mins. till th...

Taucheo or fermented bean paste is salty but when sauted with fresh ginger and garlic, the gravy makes a perfect combination with steamed fish.  If you like the gravy to be slightly spicy, toss in some  birdeye chillies and add in a bit of sugar to taste.  This steamed fish is quick and easy to prepare and is extremely appetising.  But do bear in mind that steamed fish must be eaten straight from the steamer as the taste differs when the dish is cold. Steamed ikan kembong with bean paste ~  豆酱蒸鱼 Ingredients 400 gm ikan kembong 4 tsp garlic and ginger, chopped 1 Tbsp fermented bean paste (taucheo) 2 birdeye chillies 1/2 tsp cornstarch + 2 tsp water Spring onions to garnish Method Clean up the ikan kembong, season with some salt. Heat up some oil in a pan, saute the garlic and ginger till fragrant, add in the bean paste.  Add in 1/2 cup water.  Fine tune to taste with some sugar.  Add in cornstarch thickening. Set aside. ...

This is a delicious muffin with the subtle taste of greentea and pairing it with red bean paste is a perfect marriage.  This muffin is mildly sweet and it's perfect for breakfast or on-the-go snack.  Do give this recipe a try! Greentea muffins with red bean paste ~  绿茶红豆玛芬 Ingredients 240 gm plain flour 1 Tbsp baking powder 100 gm caster sugar 1'L' egg, slightly beaten 1 cup milk 1/4 cup oil 2 tsp greentea powder red bean paste (homemade) 1 tsp vanilla a pinch of salt Method Sift the plain flour, baking powder and greentea powder into a mixing bowl.  Mix in sugar and salt till well incorporated.  Set aside. In another bowl, beat the egg, add in the oil followed by the milk and vanilla.  Mix well. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, till just combined.  Do not overmix. Scoop the batter into a paper lined muffin pan, half full, then add in a heaped teaspoonful of red bean paste.  Cover with some mo...

When I was recommended to try this dish in a restaurant, I was both hesitant and at the same time intrigued by its name.  I've heard of the song 'Bridge over troubled water' but Tofu crossing the bridge?  So to satisfy everyone's curiosity, we agreed to give it a try.  It's a nutritious dish with a good source of protein in the Tofu pork and egg all in one.  It was just tasty and delicious to go with a bowl of steaming hot white rice! Tofu Bridge ~  跨桥豆腐 Ingredients 200 gm minced pork 2 pieces soft Tofu 1 egg Seasoning for minced pork - salt plus 1.1/2 tsp cornflouar Sauce to add to the dish after steamed and before serving - (3 tsp hot water, 1.1/2 tsp light soya sauce, 1/4 tsp sugar mix till dissovled) 1 tsp sesame oil and garlic oil to garnish Method Slice up the Tofu into 8 pieces, and place on a plate. Spread the seasoned minced pork on both sides of the Tofu Lightly beat up the egg and pour on top of the minced por...

These Mung Bean Cakes are made with split mung beans and they can pass off as mooncakes as they are shaped using the plunger moulds for mooncakes.  I find these mung bean cakes refreshing and not so heavy as mooncakes and they are a perfect match with a cup of hot Chinese tea. Mung Bean Cake  ~   绿豆糕 Ingredients 300 gm split mung beans 30 gm Crisco shortening 70 ml vegetable oil 100 gm organic cane sugar 1.1/2 Tbsp honey about 100 gm red bean paste 1/2 tsp matcha powder pinch of salt pandan leaves Method Wash and soak the mung beans with 700 ml water, overnight. Next day, rinse the mung beans and cook it in a rice cooker with about 1 inch of water covering the mung beans.  (I used the 'congee' function of the rice cooker). Put the cooked mung beans in a blender and blend till fine with 120 ml water. Heat up a non-stick pan with shortening and once melted, pour in the blended mung beans.  Keep stirring on medium he...

I was so pleased when I saw the nice green colour of this pound cake after I removed it from the oven, for true to the recommendation by the lady at the shop where I usually get my ingredients, she assured me that I won't be disappointed.  Yes, it is green and not pale or brownish.  The homemade red bean paste complimented well with the green tea and the cake stayed moist and soft even after three days kept in an airtight container, refrigerated. Matcha/Green Tea Pound Cake ~  抹茶磅蛋糕  (adapted from 'here'. ) Ingredients 150 gm plain flour 1 Tbsp matcha/green tea 1/4 tsp baking powder 150 gm unsalted butter 3 large eggs 130 gm icing sugar Red bean paste for filling Green tea powder or Icing sugar for dusting Method Sift baking powder with green tea powder and plain flour, set aside. Beat butter with icing sugar till creamy. Add in eggs one at a time till well incorporated. Fold in flour in 2 portions.  Mix well. Pour half ...

This is quite a common dish in a Chinese household.  As for me, I love beancurd sheets and for this recipe, I deepfried the beancurd sheets first before cooking.  Once the beancurd sheets have been infused with the black bean sauce, they're simply yummy not forgetting the tender and juicy ribs.  Hope you'll enjoy cooking this dish at home too! Braised pork ribs with beancurd sheet  ~ 腐竹排骨  Ingredients 450 gm pork ribs cut into bite size 200 gm deep-fried beancurd sheet 1 Tbsp black bean paste 10 gm ginger, smashed and chopped 3 pips garlic, chopped 1/4 tsp dark soya sauce Salt, sugar and light soya sauce to taste 1 tsp cornflour + 2 tsp water to thicken Method Deep fry the beancurd sheets.  Set aside. With some oil, saute the ginger and garlic with the black bean paste till fragrant. Add in the pork ribs, dark soya sauce, stir-fry, add some water, close the lid and let pork ribs cook till tender. Add in the deep-fried beanc...

I combined the red bean paste and lotus paste to make what I refer to as a 'two-toned' mooncake.  Other than the traditional sweet red bean paste and lotus paste mooncakes, these days you can find a great combination of different flavoured mooncakes.  Baked Red Bean Lotus Paste Mooncake ~ 2018 ~   红豆蓮蓉月饼 Ingredients for Dough 150 gm superfine flour 90 ml golden syrup 38 ml vegetable oil 2 gm alkaline water Egg glaze - 1 whole egg, beaten and strain. Filling 420 gm red bean paste (store bought) 120 gm lotus paste (store bought) 8 gm melon seed kernel, lightly toasted Method 1.   Use a handwhisk to mix the golden syrup, oil and alkaline water till no oil surfaces.  Sift in the superfine flour.  Mix lightly to form a dough.  Cover and let rest for a few hours.  (I let it    rest for 4 hour s). 2.  Scale red bean filling to 35 gm each, add in some melon seed kernel.  Scale lotus filling to 1...

Both the Red bean sweet soup or  糖水  and Green bean sweet soup  糖水  dessert are very common in Chinese households and we serve them for breakfast, tea, snack or even supper.  There's even a 'Sweet Soup Street'   糖水 街 here in Ipoh which has become a tourist spot as well. Normally this  綠豆沙 糖水 i s cooked with mung beans but I've chosen to cook it with split mung beans devoid of the skin and blended them as well.  Consistency and sweetness are up to your personal preference and I have kept some in ramekins, chilled and they were superb as pudding.                                      Luk Tau Sar  (Mung Bean sweet soup)  ~  綠豆沙 Ingredients 300 gm split mung beans 180 gm piece sugar or granulated sugar 1/8 tsp salt Pandan leaves 1.1/2 tsp cornflour +  2 Tbsp water (optional) M...

Attracted by the new introduction of a salted paste mooncake, suppliers have ideas.  I bought this salted mung bean paste, added some melon seeds and churn out these mini rose shaped mooncakes.                   Salted mung bean mooncake ~ 咸绿豆月饼 2017 Ingredients 150 gm superfine flour 90 ml golden syrup 38 ml vegetable oil 2 gm alkaline water Egg glaze - 1 whole egg, beaten and strain Filling 300 gm salted mung bean paste (store bought) 8 gm lightly toasted melon seeds Method Use a  handwhisk to mix the golden syrup, oil and alkaline water till no oil surfaces.  Sift in the superfine flour.  Mix lightly to form a dough.  Cover and let rest for a few hours till it doesn't stick to the hands.  (I let it rest for 4 hours). Scale dough to 25 gm each, roll into a ball Mix the melon seeds with the lotus paste.  Scale filling to 27 gm each. Flatten the piece of dough with ...

A very simple fuss-free and comforting  dish to come home to, especially on the current wet days.  This dish pairs well with both hot, steaming rice or gluey white porridge.  Enjoy with your loved ones... dig in! Taucu (bean paste) chicken  ~  豆酱姜鸡   Ingredients 650 gm chicken (I used 2 whole leg and 2 wings) 6 pips of garlic 20 gm ginger 1 Tbsp taucu 1 cup  water sugar and salt to taste oil for frying Method Season the chicken with a bit of salt. Pound the garlic and ginger, set aside. Heat up a wok with some oil, saute the garlic and ginger paste till fragrant. Add in the taucu, stir-fry.  Add in the chicken and stir-fry. Add in water and cook till chicken is cooked through. Add in sugar and salt to taste. Serve with rice or porridge.