Fish Ball Noodle Soup

I love eating fish balls. They are great in soup, in noodle soup, in steamboat, deep fried, fried with vegetables, in curry noodles, in chee cheong fun and so on. However, I have stopped buying fish balls and have instead made them myself. There may be some work involved but what I get in the end are pure fish balls with little flour and no preservatives.


Ingredients for Making Fish Balls:

• 1 tenggiri (polk-dotted) fish of about 750 g
• 100 ml + 75 ml cold water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp white pepper powder
• 1 tsp corn flour
• 2 egg whites

Method for Making Fish Balls:

• 1 tenggiri fish - 750 g
• Remove the entrails.
• Remove the head.
• Remove the tail.
• Wash the fish.

• Fillet the fish i.e. slice both sides of the fish from the backbone.
• Keep the bones as they can be used to boil soup.

• Scrape the fish meat from the skin.
• From the 750 g fish, we will get about 550 g of fish meat.

• Put the fish meat into a blender.
• Pour in 100 ml of cold water.
• Blend till the fish meat becomes a paste.

• Transfer the fish paste to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.
• Start the machine.

• Every now and then, stop the mixer and use a spatula to scrape the paste from the bottom of the machine.

• Add the first of the seasonings - 1 tsp of sugar.
• Continue to mix till the sugar is incorporated into the paste.

• Next, add 1 1/2 tsp of salt to the paste.
• Continue to mix so that the salt is incorporated into the paste.
• Next, add 1 tsp of white pepper powder to the paste.

• Add 1 tsp of corn flour.

• Next, add in 2 egg whites, a little at a time.
• Continue to mix till all the seasonings, corn flour and egg whites are well incorporated.
• Slowly add in 75 ml of cold water.
• Let the mixer run for another 10-15 minutes.

• Note: For a "bouncy" fish ball, take the paste and hit it again the bowl for as many times as possible.

• Test to see whether the fish paste is ready for use - the floating test.
• Take a glass of water.
• Scoop a ball of fish paste and make into a ball.
• Drop the ball into the glass of water.
• If the ball floats, it means that the paste is ready.
• If the ball sinks, start the machine and let it mix for another 10 minutes and then carry out the test again.
• Repeat this until the ball floats to the top of the glass.

• This step is carried out if you do not wish to use the fish ball yet.
• Fill a pot of water.
• Put it over low heat. [Do not let the water boil but just simmer. (Bubbles around the pot.) Note: If you let the water boil, then the sweetness of the fish ball will escape to the water. The fish ball will cook with slow simmering.]
• Scoop the fish paste and use 2 spoons to make it into a ball and drop it into the water. Repeat this until the paste is used up. However, you may use your palm and closed fingers to squeeze out the paste into a ball.

• Once the balls float to the the top of the water, they are cooked and can be removed from the water.

Let the balls cool down completely before putting them into a container and keeping it in the refrigerator.

Method for Making Fish Ball Noodle Soup:

• Put a pot onto the stove and turn on the fire.
• Put some oil into the pot.
• Add some minced garlic into the oil and let it saute till fragrant.
• Once it is fragrant, add water, the amount depends on the number of bowls of noodle you are making.
• Once the water boils, add in raw fish balls, fish meat, prawns, squids or whatever ingredients you like.
• Add the seasonings according to taste - salt, light soy sauce and pepper.
• Add whatever vegetable you like - cai xin, napa cabbage, lettuce, etc.
• Drop some beaten eggs into the soup if you like.
• Add the noodles - kueh teow, yellow noodle, bean noodle, bihun, etc.
• Scoop out and serve when the noodle is cooked.

Chocolate Buns (with Whipping Cream)

I love making breads and buns. But more important I love experimenting with the ingredients in coming up with my breads and buns. All my breads and buns are different for each bake. It is important to feel the dough during the process so that we know whether the bread will turn out well. If the dough is too dry we have to add more liquid. When we are adding liquid we must not pour all in at the same time. The golden rule is to retain at least 10-15% of the liquid. If we were to put all the liquid in, we cannot remove them if the dough is too wet. (The alternative is to add more flour and have a bigger loaf or more buns than we desire.)

The Chocolate Buns for this recipe are not sweet. In fact they are slightly bitter. But the chocolate chips will add some sweetness to the buns. However, for those with sweet tooth, they may add more sugar to the recipe. 

Ingredients:

• 330 g bread flour
• 60 g all-purpose flour
• 40 g cocoa powder
• 60 g sugar (Can add another 15 - 20 g for sweeter buns.)
• 2 tsp yeast
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 200 ml chocolate milk
• 70 ml whipping cream
• 1 egg
• 50 g butter
• 12 tsp chocolate chips
• For brushing the dough (Optional):
• 1 egg
• 2-3 tbsp milk

Method:

• Put all dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer.

• Start the mixer at a slow speed to combine all the dry ingredients.

• Slowly add the chocolate milk and whipping cream. (Different flour has different moisture content. If your dough is dry, add more chocolate milk.)

• Add the egg.

• Knead until a dough ball is formed.

• Add the butter.

• Knead until the butter is incorporated.

• Continue kneading until window pane stage is achieved.

• Grease a bowl which is big enough for the dough to proof to double the size.

• Transfer the dough from the mixing bowl to the greased bowl.

• Cover the bowl with a cling wrap.

• Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer the dough onto a slightly floured or greased surface.

• Punch down the dough and knead for 5 minutes.

• Divide dough into 12 pieces. (My mini dough weighs 75 g each.)

• Take 1 dough and roll it into a ball.

• Flatten it into a circle using a rolling pin.

• Place a teaspoon of chocolate chips in the centre.

• Roll up the dough to form a ball.

• Place the ball onto a cupcake liner.

• Place the liner onto a baking tray.

• Repeat this until all the dough balls have been completed.

• Cover the baking tray with a towel.

• Place the baking tray in a warm place and let the dough proof until double in size.

• Preheat oven to 170 deg C.

• (If you want a shiny top, brush the dough just before baking with the egg and milk mixture.)

• Bake the dough balls for 20 minutes.

• When baked, remove the buns immediately onto a metal rack to cool down.

Purple Sweet Potato Sesame Balls

The Sesame Balls are a favourite snack among Malaysians. Soft on the inside, chewy on the outside and coupled with the aromatic sesame seeds, it is no wonder so many people love them. However, making them involves quite a bit of work. To lighten the work load, the processes of making them can be broken down into 2. We can make the filling first and then freeze them up until the time when we need them.

Making the Fillings

Ingredients:

• 200 g purple sweet potatoes (already skinned and cut into cubes)
• 2 pandan leaves, cut into 6 inches long
• 50 g of castor sugar (may add more)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp glutinous rice flour
• 100 ml water
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

• Put the purple sweet potatoes onto a metal plate with the pandan leaves. Put the plate into a steamer and steam until the sweet potatoes are soft. (It will take about 25-30 minutes depending on the cut-size of the sweet potatoes.)

• While waiting for the sweet potatoes to soften, combine the sugar, salt, glutinous rice flour and water in a bowl. Stir to melt the sugar and to mix all the ingredients.

• When the sweet potatoes have softened, mashed them as fine as possible.

• Add the mashed sweet potatoes into the sugar mixture. Mix to combine them well. (Taste a bit of the mixture. Add more sugar if you want it to be sweeter.)

• Pour the mixture into a sieve and using a spatula press the mixture through the sieve. This will ensure that all the fibers from the sweet potatoes and any impurities are removed and that we obtain the smoothest paste possible.

• Transfer the paste into a non-stick pan. Add cooking oil into it.

• Cook the paste. Keep on stirring and turning until we have a smooth and shiny surface.

• Remove the paste from the pan and let it cool down completely.

• Divide the paste into 10 pieces.

• Roll each piece up into a ball and put it onto an oiled plate.

• Repeat until all the pieces have been rolled up.

• Cover the plate with a cling wrap until they are needed.

• Note: You can make the paste very much in advance. Wrap them up in the cling wrap and freeze them. When you need to use them, bring it out to thaw to room temperature.

Making the Skin

Ingredients:

• 125 g glutinous rice flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp castor sugar
• 125 ml boiling water
• 1 tsp vegetable oil

Method:

• Measure glutinous rice flour into a mixing bowl.

• Add the baking powder and castor sugar.

• Mix the rice flour, baking powder and sugar.

• Add the boiling water slowly, stirring all the while. If the dough is too dry, add more water.

• Add the oil.

• By now the dough should have cooled down. Start kneading by hand until you have a smooth dough.

• Rest the dough for 10 minutes.

• Divide the dough into 10 pieces.

• Roll each piece into a ball and place it onto a greased plate. (It is important that you grease the plate well or the dough will stick onto it.)

• Repeat until all the dough has been rolled up.

• Cover the plate with a cling wrap.

Assembly

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp of glutinous rice flour.
• 4 tbsp of water
• 100 g sesame seeds, slightly browned in a wok without oil
• Cooking oil for frying

Method:

• Put the glutinous rice flour into a small bowl.

• Add water into the bowl and stir to get glutinous rice solution.

• Put the sesame seeds into a small bowl.

• Take a piece of the dough ball.

• Flatten the dough ball in your palm.

• Put a sweet potato ball on the dough and slowly cover up the sweet potato ball with the dough. Then roll it into a ball with your two palms.

• Put the ball into the glutinous rice flour solution. Roll the ball so that every part is covered.

•  Transfer the ball into the bowl with sesame seeds.

• Cover the ball with sesame seeds completely with spoon.

• Take out the sesame ball and roll it in between your palm to ensure that the seeds stick onto the ball.

• Place it onto a greased plate.

• Repeat until all have been done.

• Heat wok with cooking oil.

• When the oil is hot, put the sesame balls into the wok. Fry them until they turn golden brown.

• Remove them onto a wire mesh to let the oil drip.

• Place the sesame balls onto a serving plate.

Wholewheat Bran Loaf

The healthiest types of bread include:
1. Ezekiel bread which is made without added sugar and from sprouted whole grains,
2. Flax seed bread,
3. Rye bread,
4. Oat bread, and
5. Whole wheat bread.

So far, I have been baking a lot of oat bread and whole wheat bread for my family. Now I have excluded sugar from some of my breads. This is because sugar has calories and, secondly, it will increase the blood sugar in our body (especially if we are diabetic or have diabetes-related conditions). The Whole Wheat Bran Loaf is sugarless and is a welcome addition to the breads I bake.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 6 tbsp wheat bran
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp yeast
• 250 ml water or milk
• 30 g butter

Method:

• Add whole wheat flour and bran into a mixing bowl.

• Add salt to one side of the bowl and yeast on the opposite side. (Salt will slow down the fermentation activities of the yeast.)

• Mix up all the ingredients in the mixing bowl.

• Slowly add the water or milk. Mix and knead until a smooth dough is formed.

• Add butter and knead further to incorporate the butter into the dough.

• Line and grease an 8 inch by 4 inch baking pan.

• Transfer the dough into the baking pan.

• Cover the pan and let the dough rise for about 1 hour.

• Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Centigrade.

• Put the pan into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

• Once the bread has baked, remove the pan from the oven.

• Remove the bread from the pan immediately and let it cool down completely on a wire rack before slicing it.

Spicy, Sweet and Sour Flower Crabs

I am a seafood lover. Whenever I patronise restaurants offering Western menu, I will always opt for the seafood platter. If I have to make a choice between the various seafood dishes, I will go for the lobsters, shrimps, crabs, squids, clams, octopus, fish and oysters (in that order). However, out of these, the most common and which are eaten almost daily are the shrimps and the fishes. The rest are eaten sparingly due to cost, availability and health reasons.

I love crabs after lobsters and shrimps. But I seldom eat crabs outside; it can take quite a bit of time to eat them and it can also be quite messy even if we are provided with mallets and crab forks.  For mud crabs, I will usually buy home the cooked ones from the restaurants and eat them in the comfort of my home. But for the Flower Crabs, I will usually buy and cook them myself. One of my styles is to cook them in sweet and sour sauce.

Ingredients:

• 3 pieces of flowery crabs (about 600 g)
• 2 inches ginger, julienned
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 4 chili padi, chopped
• 2 tbsp minced bean paste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 cup water

Method:

• Wash and remove the hard outer covering. Once the covering has been removed, then remove the grey gills. Cut the tips of the claws and legs. Use the pestle to crack the claws for easy removal during eating.

• Half each crab or quarter it if it is a big one.

• Heat up the wok with cooking oil.

• Add the ginger and fry till fragrant.

• Add the chopped garlic and fry till you can smell the aroma.

• Add the tomato wedges. Fry till they are soft. Press them to let the juice come out.

• Add the chili padi.

• Add the minced bean paste and stir till it is combined with the other ingredients.

• Add the flower crabs.

• Stir and add 1 cup of water.

• Cover the wok and let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes.

• Remove the cover and give the crabs a few stir.

• Dish them out.