Showing posts with label Chinese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chinese. Show all posts

Sunday 12 April 2020

Traditional Chinese Steamed Egg Cake (Ji Dan Gao/Kuih Neng Go 鸡蛋糕)

I grew up eating this ji dan gao 鸡蛋糕 as my mum used to make it very often.  This traditional Chinese steamed egg cake is very easy to make. It only consists of 3 simple ingredients - eggs, flour and sugar.
Ji Dan Gao/Kuih Neng Gao 鸡蛋糕

Ingredients :
- 1 bowl of egg
- 1 bowl of castor sugar (or to taste)
- 1 bowl of plain flour
- 1/3 bowl of cooking oil 
Method :
1)  Using stand mixer, beat  eggs at high speed until light and pale. 

2)  Add in sugar and continue to beat the  egg mixture until the volume increase 2 to 3 times  and the mixture becomes thick and glossy. 

3) Then slowly add the cooking oil and beat until it's well mixed.

4)  Sift and fold in the flour until the egg mixture is well combined. 

5) Pour the batter into greased or lined pan.

6)  Steam for about 25-30 minutes or when a skewer inserted comes out clean.

7) Remove the cake from the pan and let it cool on the rack. 

8) Best serve warm.
Enjoy this classic steamed egg cake 鸡蛋糕
Cheers and have an awesome day ahead 
🌹🌹🌹


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Thursday 30 June 2016

How to make Purple Sweet Potato Chinese Steamed Buns/Mantou (馒头) which are pillowy soft, fluffy and has a sweet aroma of sweet potato

Mantou (馒头) or Chinese Steamed Buns is a type of steamed bread which is popular in Northern China.
There are many variations of mantous be it plain, sweet or savory. You can even try out my steamed scallion flower bun.
For this post, I am sharing with you a sweet purple coloured mantou. Don't worry, this is a natural purple colour from purple sweet potato.
This recipe is adapted from Boon's Secret Recipe 2 under 'My Wife's Signature Pumpkin Mantou'. I substituted the pumpkin with purple sweet potato as I happened to have it. 
Well, overall, this mantou is pillowy soft and very delicious.

Purple Sweet Potato Mantou
Recipe adapted from Boon's Secret Recipe 2 with minor modification
For those who are interested in simple and easy budget meals, local kuih-muih, desserts and snacks, you should get all his 3 series which come in handy whenever you want a comfort and warm meal for your family.  I have no regrets adding these 3 series to my existing cookbook collection.
Ingredients A:
- 500g purple sweet potato (pared off the skin and cut into small pieces)
- 480ml water (keep this water after boiling it with potato)
- some pandan leaves
Ingredients B :
- Sweet potato water from ingredients A
- 250g caster sugar
- 1 kg all purpose flour
- 1 sachet dried yeast
- 3 tbsp softened butter

Method for ingredients A - mashed purple sweet potato :-

1) Boil ingredients A over medium heat for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and discard pandan leaves. Keep the sweet potato water (for ingredients B).
2) Remove sweet potato into a basin or big bowl and mash it.

Method for ingredients B dough - (please take note I used bread machine):-
1) Put in mashed sweet potato and all the ingredient B except butter as per your bread machine instruction.

2) Press dough function and let it knead.

3) When the dough is smooth, add in butter and continue the kneading process.

4) Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

5) Take out the dough and lightly hand knead it. Divide the dough into pieces according to your preferred size.

6) Roll and shape the dough any shape you like. I shaped it into buns.

7) Place the shaped buns on a greaseproof paper and let it rest for 15 minutes.

8) Steam over rapid boiling water over high heat for 13 minutes.

9) Serve warm.

Serve warm for breakfast or tea 
These mantous have sweet aroma of sweet potato 
This is recipe is a keeper. Try it and you will know what I mean. 
Note :
1) If dough is too dry, add a bit of water or if too wet, sprinkle some flour onto the dough.
2) You can freeze the steamed buns and re-steam the frozen buns (about 3 minutes) whenever you crave for it.




Sorry to inform that for the time being, I have disabled comment box as I won't be able to return visit to my fellow bloggers who are kind enough to drop me a line or two. The comment box will be enabled when I am not so tied up with my work schedule. However, you may contact me by leaving your message or comment at SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY LIVING FACEBOOK. My sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused. Thanks for visiting my blog and have a nice day :) 

Thursday 2 June 2016

An Easy peasy recipe on how to make a popular Chinese vegan dim sum dish which is deliciously gluten-free and it's none other than Steamed Daikon Radish Cake 萝卜糕

This simple yet delicious classic radish cake 萝卜糕 is suitable for vegetarians and vegans
Daikon Radish cake 萝卜糕 is a popular Chinese dim sum dish. The main ingredient of this steamed cake is daikon radish as its name implies. (To me, I think white radish, winter radish, oriental radish, long white radish are in fact the same humble daikon radish. Correct me if I am wrong). You can easily get daikon radish in wet market or in any Asian grocery stores around the world. Daikon radish cake 萝卜糕 is a savory treat made with daikon radish, spices and rice flour which is steamed, sliced and pan-fried to perfection so it has thin crunchy crispy layer on the outside, but soft and tender on the inside. It is easily available in any of the dim sum restaurants in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan as well as overseas China town restaurants. Besides, it is commonly eaten during Chinese New Year, since radish (菜頭, chhài-thâu) is a homophone for "good fortune" (好彩頭, hó-chhái-thâu) in Hokkien. Over here in Malaysia, we have radish cake for breakfast as well as yum cha.
For this post, I am making steamed daikon radish cake which is suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.
Ingredients :
- 500gm daikon radish (peeled and finely shredded)

Batter : (Combined into batter)
- 250gm rice flour
- 3 tbsp tapioca flour
- 400ml water

Seasonings : (to taste - you can add or omit any of these seasonings)
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1.5 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp preserved cabbage powder (vegan cooking powder)
- 1/2 tsp five spice powder

- some cooking oil

Method :

1) Combine batter ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
2) Heat some oil and stir fry shredded daikon radish until soft. Add in seasoning to taste. Keep stir frying until mix well.
3) Reduce the heat to low and slowly pour in the batter and continue stirring until the mixture thickens.
4) Transfer the mixture into a greased steaming pan and steam at high heat for about 45 minutes or until cooked (you can test it with a skewer- if the skewer comes out clean then it's thoroughly cooked)
5) Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the pan and cut into your desired size.
6) Pan fry the cake until crispy and golden brown on all sides. Serve it with your favorite chili sauce
Yummy to serve it warm
Crispy and crunchy on the outside
but soft and tender on the inside
Steamed Daikon Radish Cake萝卜糕 is my favorite and I can eat few slices in one go!!!
Try this hearty delightful treat and impress your family members and friends..... cheers



Sorry to inform that for the time being, I have disabled comment box as I won't be able to return visit to my fellow bloggers who are kind enough to drop me a line or two. The comment box will be enabled when I am not so tied up with my work schedule. However, you may contact me by leaving your message or comment at SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY LIVING FACEBOOK. My sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused. Thanks for visiting my blog and have a nice day :) 

Monday 21 December 2015

Happy Winter Solstice 冬至节快乐 and Tang Yuan 汤圆 (Chinese Glutinous Rice Balls) in Sweet Fragrant Osmanthus Lemongrass Pandan Sweet Soup

First of all, HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE/Dongzhi Festival (冬至节快乐) to all Chinese who are celebrating this meaningful festival.  This  year, Dongzhi Festival falls on 22nd December. Traditionally, Winter Solstice is also a time for the family to get together.  During this festival, making and eating tang yuan 汤圆 (glutinous rice balls) symbolize reunion and its sweet syrup symbolizes prosperity.  In China, Dongzhi was originally celebrated as an end-of-harvest festival.  
According to Wikipedia, Dōngzhì Festival or Winter Solstice Festival (Chinese: 冬 至; pinyin: Dōngzhì; literally: "the extreme of Winter") is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Chinese and other East Asians during the Dongzhi solar term (winter solstice) on or around December 22 (according to East Asia time). In 2015, the festival falls on Tuesday, December 22.

The origins of this festival can be traced back to the yin and yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos. After this celebration, there will be days with longer daylight hours and therefore an increase in positive energy flowing in. The philosophical significance of this is symbolized by the I Ching hexagram fù (復, "Returning").

Traditionally, the Dongzhi Festival is also a time for the family to get together. One activity that occurs during these get-togethers (especially in the southern parts of China and in Chinese communities overseas) is the making and eating of tangyuan (湯圓) or balls of glutinous rice, which symbolize reunion. Tangyuan are made of glutinous rice flour and sometimes brightly coloured. Each family member receives at least one large tangyuan in addition to several small ones. The flour balls may be plain or stuffed. They are cooked in a sweet soup or savory broth with both the ball and the soup/broth served in one bowl. It is also often served with a mildly alcoholic unfiltered rice wine containing whole grains of glutinous rice (and often also Sweet Osmanthus flowers), called jiuniang.

In northern China, people typically eat dumplings on Dongzhi. It is said to have originated from Zhang Zhongjing in the Han Dynasty. On one cold winter day, he saw the poor suffering from chilblains on their ears. Feeling sympathetic, he ordered his apprentices to make dumplings with lamb and other ingredients, and distribute them among the poor to keep them warm, to keep their ears from getting chilblains. Since the dumplings were shaped like ears, Zhang named the dish "qùhán jiāoěr tāng" (祛寒嬌耳湯) or dumpling soup that expels the cold. From that time on, it has been a tradition to eat dumplings on the day of Dongzhi.

Old traditions also require people with the same surname or from the same clan to gather at their ancestral temples to worship on this day. There is always a grand reunion dinner following the sacrificial ceremony.

The festive food is also a reminder that celebrators are now a year older and should behave better in the coming year. Even today, many Chinese around the world, especially the elderly, still insist that one is "a year older" right after the Dongzhi celebration instead of waiting for the lunar new year.

To Taiwanese people, the festival in winter also plays a very important role. It is also a tradition for Taiwanese to eat tangyuan on this day. They also use the festive food as an offering dish to worship the ancestors.

In an interesting twist, in accordance with ancient Taiwanese history, many people take some of the tangyuan that have been used as offerings and stick them on the back of the door or on windows and tables and chairs. These "empowered" tangyuan supposedly serve as protective talismans to keep evil spirits from coming close to children.

In addition to following some of the customs practiced in China, the people of Taiwan have their own unique custom of offering nine-layer cakes as a ceremonial sacrifice to worship their ancestors. These cakes are made using glutinous rice flour in the shape of a chicken, duck, tortoise, pig, cow, or sheep, and then steamed in different layers of a pot. These animals all signify auspiciousness in Chinese tradition.

Another interesting custom in Taiwan is that many people take invigorating tonic foods during this particular winter festival. To the Taiwanese, winter is a time when most physical activities should be limited and you should eat well to nourish your body. This practice follows the habits shown by many animals which follow the law of nature and hibernate throughout winter months to rejuvenate and to preserve life. In order to fight cold temperatures, it is necessary to eat more fatty and meaty foods during winter when your body can better absorb the rich and nutritional foods at this time due to a slower metabolic rate.

Since Dongzhi is the "Extreme of Winter", Taiwanese regard it as the best time of the year to take tonic foods. Some of the most widely popular winter tonic foods enjoyed by Taiwanese to fight cold and strengthen the body's resistance are mutton hot pot and ginger duck hot pot. Other foods like chicken, pork, and abalone are also common materials used in making tonic foods with nurturing herbs such as ginseng, deer horn, and the fungus cordyceps.

This year, I decided to make a different syrup.  Instead of the usual pandan and ginger syrup, I added lemongrass and osmanthus 桂花 as well.  Well, it tasted much much better and is also healthier, right?  As for the tang yuan, besides sweet potato, I also have green tea powder for the green color instead of the usual pandan colour too!  Hehehe...
Ingredients :
Sweet Potatoes Tang Yuan :
- 100g glutinous rice flour
- 150g orange sweet potato (steamed and mashed)
- 1tbsp cornstach

- 1/4 cup warm water

Method :
1) Mix the above ingredients and knead until a smooth dough is formed.

2) Divide the dough into several pieces and roll into small balls. I have various sizes!

3) Cook the glutinous rice balls in a pot of boiling water. Stir gently to prevent the rice balls to stick at the bottom. Please take note that when the rice balls float to surface, it is cooked.

4) Transfer the cooked tang yuan to a pot of cold water and drain.

5) Serve tang yuan in a bowl with your favorite syrup or sweet soup.


Step by step pictures of cooking the tang yuan



Sweet Soup/Syrup : to taste (no exact measurement)
- 2.5litre water
- 10 pandan leaves
- 10 lemongrass/serai (slit and crushed)
- 2 big thumbsized ginger (crushed)
- 2 bar of brown cane sugar
- some dried osmanthus

Method :
1) Put everything in a large pot and boil. I slow boiled for around half an hour as I love the fragrant of the ginger and lemongrass in the syrup. Mine is more towards like sweet soup dessert (tongsui) instead of syrup. You can adjust according to your preference.



Making tang yuan is very easy as you can 'mix and match' the ingredients to your liking
As for the sweet soup or syrup, you too can 'mix and match'' whatever that fancies you
Isn't it simply easy yet mouth-watering??
Happy Winter Solstice 冬至节快乐 to all my dear readers 



Sorry to inform that for the time being, I have disabled comment box as I won't be able to return visit to my fellow bloggers who are kind enough to drop me a line or two. The comment box will be enabled when I am not so tied up with my work schedule. However, you may contact me by leaving your message or comment at SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY LIVING FACEBOOK. My sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused. Thanks for visiting my blog and have a nice day :)