Chinese Cabbage Stir-fry

A simple dish that can be consumed by everyone is Chinese Cabbage Stir-fried with carrots, Shiitake mushroom, fungus, tofu and tofu puffs. Cooking this dish is easy and fast. And most of the ingredients can be found in most homes. 

 

 Ingredients:

• 150 g Chinese cabbage
• 15 g carrots
• 1 pc square tofu
• 5 pcs tofu puffs
• 3 pc Shiitake Mushroom
• 15 g fungus
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• 3 cloves garlic 
• Cooking oil

Instructions:

• Wash and cut Chinese cabbage into 1-inch length.

• Peel and cut/slice carrots into preferred shape.

• Wash and cut the tofu into 9 pieces. (You may use the cylindrical ones.)

• Soak tofu puffs and then slice each puff into 3 pieces. (It is better to use Bentong tofu puffs which are softer and tastier than others.)

• Soak Shiitake mushrooms. Slice them when they have softened.

• Soak fungus and remove any barks attached to them.

• Add 4 tbsp cooking oil to the wok.

• When oil is hot, add the tofu. Fry till the tofu pieces are slightly brown. Then dish them out and set them aside.

• Pour away the oil which would have been watery after frying the tofu.

• Add 2 tbsp cooking oil to the wok.

• When the oil is hot, add the sliced mushrooms. Saute till they are fragrant.

• Add the garlic and saute them till they are fragrant.

• Add the Chinese cabbage and carrot, fungus and tofu puffs and fry them for a couple of minutes.

• Add water and let it simmer to soften the ingredients.

• Add seasonings of salt, light soy sauce and pepper. Stir to mix.

• Finally, add the fried tofu. Stir gently to mix up all ingredients without mashing up the tofu.

• Dish up and serve.

Kuih Seri Muka Gula Melaka

 

Kuih Seri Muka (aka Kuih Pulut Kaya) is made up of a lower glutinous rice layer and a top egg custard layer made from a combination of pandan juice, santan, sugar, wheat flour and corn flour. I have made this so often that it is high time to do something different. So, I tried with making the kuih with a brown top made from gula Melaka, thus, Kuih Seri Muka Gula Melaka. It turned out equally delicious.

Ingredients:

(a) The Top Layer

• 140 g gula Melaka
• 100 g hot water
• 215 g thick coconut milk
• 2 eggs
• 15 g all-purpose flour
• 25 g corn flour
• 1/4 tsp salt

(b) The Bottom Layer

• 300 g glutinous rice
• 250 ml thin coconut milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 pandan leaves cut into 6-inch length

Method:

Bottom layer:

• Soak the glutinous rice for at least 4 hours.

• Drain the water after 4 hours.

• Mix the rice with thin coconut milk.

• Add salt and stir.

• Grease an 8 inch square or round pan. You may line the base with a piece banana leave.

• Pour the rice with thin coconut milk into the pan. Place the pandan leaves in between the rice.

• Steam for about 30 minutes in total over low to medium heat. After the first 15 minutes, open the cover of the steamer, remove the pandan leaves and press down the rice to compress it. Close back the cover and steam for the remaining 15 minutes.

• While waiting for the rice to cook, prepare the top layer.

Top layer:

• Add hot water and gula Melaka into a pot.

• Turn on the fire and boil the gula Melaka till it dissolves.

• Remove the pot from the fire and let the gula Melaka syrup cool down.

• Add the syrup, coconut milk and eggs to a mixing bowl.

• Whisk till all the ingredients are well combined.

• Add flours to the mixing bowl. Stir with a whisk to ensure that all are well incorporated and a smooth batter is formed.

• Sieve the batter to get rid of any remaining lumps.

• Optional. You may pour the batter into a saucepan to heat it up slightly (over very low heat) before pouring onto the glutinous rice layer. Stir it continuously to prevent any lumps from forming.

• Open the steamer cover and pour the heated batter on top of the glutinous rice layer.

• Close  the cover and steam over very low heat (to obtain a smooth surface) for 35 minutes.

• Once cooked, remove the kuih from the steamer.

• Let it cool down completely before cutting it up with a plastic knife.