Author: letsplaydough

A food lover, mother and wife. A Le Cordon Bleu dropout. A former communications executive. The kitchen is my playground savoring Asian & Western dishes. I invite you to join me. Let the fun begin.

Mini Egg Cakes 鸡蛋糕

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IMG_0117Without a drop of oil/a bit of fat added, these old-styled Chinese egg cakes are light, healthy and just delicious. They also bring back a lot of childhood memory. At that time, cakes were a novelty because nobody owned an oven to make them at home. They were only available at a few shops in the town. Everyday my sister and I could not wait for our mum coming back home from work because we could always happily find these yummy cakes in her purse. I tweaked the traditional recipe by adding dried cranberry and a handful of nuts.

Makes 12 egg cakes,

  • 75g                   cake flour 低筋面粉 (all-purpose or plain flour works it just doesn’t produce a cupcake as soft as cake flour)
  • 3                        large eggs   room temperature
  • 60g                    caster sugar白砂糖
  • 2 tablespoons  dried cranberry蔓越莓干
  • 1 tablespoon    corn flour生粉
  • 1 tablespoon     pine nuts or sunflower nuts （optional）松子或瓜子仁IMG_0118

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 170℃ or340°F.  Line a cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners.
  2. Dust dried cranberry with corn flour.IMG_0107
  3. Place eggs into a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to whisk the eggs on medium speed (30 seconds). Gradually add into sugar and beat on high speed until the eggs have tripled in volume. This takes about 8-10 minutes. This is the most important step of the whole process. You will need beat the eggs until really light, silky and white without bubbles at all.IMG_0109
  4. Sift flour into the beaten eggs. Gently fold flour in until you can’t see flour anymore, then fold in dried cranberry.IMG_0111
  5. Now pour the batter into a lined cupcake pan. I use a level ice cream scoop for even measuring. Fill liners to about 2/3 full (do not over-fill). Sprinkle with  8-10 pine nuts. Place the cupcake pan into the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. You can insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. The cupcake is done if the toothpick comes out clean.IMG_0114
  6. Remove the pan from oven and place it on the cooling rack for about 10 minutes.IMG_0116

Mapo Tofu麻婆豆腐má pó dòu fǔ

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cover

Szechuan cuisine owes its notoriety to the Hot-and-Numbing Flavor’（麻辣味má là wèi), a powerful combination of chilies and Szechuan peppercorns. You either like it or hate it. No need to explain more about this humble yet classic Szechuan dish. – it is simply addictive. Ignore the pork in the recipe for a vegetarian alternative.

Serves 2-4,

  • 1 packet (about 400g)  firm or extra firm Tofu 北豆腐
  • 100g                               minced pork or beef 猪肉或牛肉末(vegetarians can simply skip this)
  • 1/2 tablespoon              sesame oil  香油
  • 1/4 teaspoon                 salt
  • 2 tablespoons               cooking oil
  • 2 tablespoons                Szechuan fermented bean paste (Doubanjiang)四川郫县豆瓣酱
  • 2 tablespoons                spring onions (white part only)葱白, 切成末
  • 1/2 tablespoon               ginger, minced姜末
  • 1/2 tablespoon               garlic, minced蒜末
  • 1/2 tablespoon               fermented black beans, minced豆豉切碎
  • 1 tablespoon                   light soy sauce生抽
  • 4 tablespoons                  garlic greens, chopped 青蒜苗段 (green part only)
  • 400ml                              water in room temperature or chicken broth for braising
  • 1/2 tablespoon               Szechuan peppercorn powder四川花椒粉
  • 1 teaspoon                       sugar （optional）

Water starch

  • 2 and 1/2 tablespoon    water in room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon                    corn starch生粉ingredients

Method

  1. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and sesame oil to minced pork or beef. Mix well and set aside.
  2. Mix 1 tablespoon of corn starch with 2 and ½ tablespoons of water in a small bowl to make the water starch.
  3. Cut tofu into square cubes (around 2cms). Bring a large amount of water to a boil and then add a pinch of salt. Slide the tofu in and cook for 1 minute. Move out and drain.boil tofu
  4. Get a wok and heat up around 2 tablespoons of oil, fry the minced meat until crispy. Transfer out beef out and leave the oil in.FullSizeRender
  5. Fry doubanjiang for 1 minute over slow fire and then add minced garlic, spring onion white, ginger and fermented black beans to cook for 30 seconds until aroma. Add 400 ml water to the seasonings and bring to boil over high fire. Gently slide the tofu cubes. Add light soy sauce and pork/beef. Slow the heat after boiling and then simmer for 6-8 minutes. Then add half of the chopped garlic greens.fry seasoningscook tofu
  6. Stir the water starch into the simmering pot – do this by three batches to allow tofu even coated with seasonings. Just wait for around 30 seconds before you add another 1 batch of the water starch. Taste the tofu and add pinch of salt if not salty enough. If you feel it is too spicy, adding some sugar can help mild the taste. But be carefully as the broth is very hot at this point.add water starch
  7. Transfer out when almost all the seasonings stick to tofu cubes. Sprinkle Szechuan peppercorn powder (to taste) and the other half of the chopped garlic greens.
  8. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Tips

The fermented bean paste (doubanjiang) may differ in salinity. So adjust the amount if necessary

Sticky Rice Dumplings (Zong Zi) 嘉兴肉粽子

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coverYields about 8 Zong Zi (about 100 g for one uncooked Zong Zi)

  • 400 g                                  glutinous rice 白糯米
    20                                       dried bamboo leaves (larger size easier to wrap) 粽叶
    10                                       straw ties, or kitchen twine 棕绳
    200g                                  pork belly, skin removed, cut into small strips of 16 pieces五花肉
    4                                         salted duck egg, halved咸鸭蛋
  • 4                                         dried Shiitake mushrooms (soaked in the hot water for 20 minutes before use)香菇
  • 60g                                      Jinghua ham (or Spanish ham), cut into 8 small cubes金华火腿
  • 8                                         chestnuts (ideally fresh chestnuts. If dried one, need soak them in hot water for 4 hours.), cut it into half size去皮板栗

Rice Marinade

4 tablespoons                 light soy sauce生抽

Pork Belly Marinade
1 tablespoon                   light soy sauce生抽
1/2 tablespoon                dark soy sauce老抽

1/2 tablespoon                 sugar白糖
1 tablespoon                    Chinese cooking wine料酒
1 teaspoon                        five spice powder五香粉
4                                          slices of ginger 姜片
2                                          spring onions, chopped to the length of 5cm香葱

ingredients Method

  1. Rinse the bamboo leaves and straw ties thoroughly in running water, then put in a large tub with hot water to soak for an hour or so.  When the water has cooled, check to see if the leaves are bendable.  If still stiff, refresh the tub with hot water and soak another hour. If you use cold water, repeat the above process by just leaving the dry leaves in the water overnight. Once the leaves are completely bendable without breakage they are ready to use.  Keep them soaking in the water until you use them.IMG_9807
  2. Rinse the rice and soak for an hour in cool water.  Strain out water thoroughly then mix in light soy sauce.  Let marinate for another hour.soak riceIMG_9708
  3. Remove the pork belly skin. Slice the meat into 16 pieces (make sure meat and fat are equally split). Mix in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for an hour or so.  Note here: you cannot substitute pork for pork fat.  It just won’t work and you’ll get a dried out tough piece of meat inside your Zong zi instead of meltingly pull-apart pork and the fragrant taste of pork fat infused through the whole dumpling.  Pork fat? Yes, any fat is delicious. You probably eat Zong zi only once a year. So go for it!IMG_9705
  4. Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in boiling hot water (just barely cover). When the mushrooms are soft through, take them out, give them a squeeze to get rid of excess water and half each mushroom. Wash the black stuff off duck eggs, then break open the eggs and remove the hard yellow yolk inside, cut into halves and put aside. Cut the Jinghua ham into 16 equal pieces. Steam the ham with 20g sugar (rock sugar is ideal) for about 20 minutes.
  5. Now let’s assemble. With all the prepared ingredients at hand, take two bamboo leaves and cut off the hard tips at the base.  Put them side by side, overlapping by 1cm or so (depends on your leaf size).  It should feel structurally like one leaf and not two.  Fold the base up by around 10cm and then immediately fold in the right hand side of leaf structure by approx 5cm to create a sturdy little pocket as per the photo below. There should be no opening at the bottom otherwise the rice might escape during cooking later.assemble 1
  6. Hold this pocket together with one hand, use the other hand to scoop 3 tablespoons of rice into the pocket, then you can pile on 2 pork pieces (making sure each dumpling has pork fat in it), 1 halved salted egg, 2 quarters of mushrooms, 1 piece ham and 2 chestnut pieces. Finally add 1 more tablespoon of rice to the top.assemble 2
  7. Now comes the tricky part. Hold zong zi longwise from your body.  Fold over right bit of bamboo leaf (sticking out beyond your fillings) snuggly over the fillings, then fold left bit of bamboo leaf over that and tuck it under your thumb as per the photo below.  Try to get a snug fit of leaves over fillings, not packed but snug.  Do not squeeze the zong zi while you’re holding it or else the rice will come out packed and sticky instead of fluffy. Gentle cradling is the operative word here, I think.

You should have enclosed all the zong zi fillings and rice with this last fold.  Now you will only have a the remaining tip of the bamboo leaf (sticking towards you at this point) to fold.  Grab it and pull slightly to create snug fit.  Pinch the leaves together along the bottom edge of zong zi and fold upwards and tuck again under your thumb.  The dumpling should be completely wrapped by the bamboo leaves now.  Use scissor to cut off any protruding leaf tips or just tuck them under.

Grab a tie or string with your free hand.  Wrap around the top of the zong zi once and tie a knot.  Then wrap the straw tie (or string) around and around as snuggly as you can, again not squeezing the zong zi to death at any time, until you reach the bottom and then tie off with another secure knot.  Cut off any loose ends and you have wrapped your zong zi!assemble 3assemble 4.JPG

How to cook Zongzi

  1. Add enough water to cover Zongzi and then bring to a boil. Simmer for 90 minutes and then soak for around 1 hour after turning off the heat.
  2. Remove the leaves and serve directly.

Kung Pao Chicken 宫保鸡丁

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coverServes 3-4,

  • 400g                            chicken breast or boneless chicken leg, cut into small cubes
  • 2 teaspoons                   Sichuan peppercorns
  • 1.5 tablespoons                garlic, minced
  • 1.5 tablespoons                ginger, minced
  • 8~10                             dried red chili, roughly chopped
  • 3                              green onions (only white part), cut into 1-inch size small sections. Or you can use leek.

 Chicken Marinade

  • 2 teaspoons              corn starch
  • 1/2 teaspoon               salt
  • 1 tablespoon                Chinese cooking wine
  • 2 teaspoons                   cooking oil

 Seasoning Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon             corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon            white sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon              dark soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon               light soy sauce
  • 1.5 tablespoons              Chinkiang vinegar

Method

  1. Cut the chicken into one -bite size cubes. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl and marinating with 1/2 teaspoon of salt,  2 teaspoons of corn starch, 1 tablespoon of cooking wine  and 2 teaspoons of cooking oil.marinate chicken
  2. Prepare a medium size bowl, combine all the ingredients for the Seasoning Sauce. Mix well. Set aside.seasoning sauce
  3. Add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in the frying pan. Add Sichuan peppercorns  in the frying pan over LOW heat. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes or until fragrant. Skim and remove the cooked peppercorns if you feel them annoying when enjoying the food later. (Be sure of using low heat and be patient. Over-fried peppercorns bring a bitter taste.) Now add garlic, ginger and dried chili until fragrant. Then add HALF of the white part of the green onions in for a minute.
  4. Now turn to high heat and quickly place all the chicken cubes in the frying pan and stir fry for 3-4 minute till chicken cubes become pale.
  5. Stir in the seasoning sauce. Mix well with rest of the ingredients until the sauce is well coated. Add the remaining HALF of green onions white sections. This process should take about less than 2 minutes. You will need to move fast to avoid the chicken being overcooked.
  6. Transfer out on a plate and serve with rice.
  1. Cooking the sliced green onions in two phases allows you enjoying the deep fragrance as well as the crunchiness and sweetness of the green onions produced by different stages of the cooking.