Steamed Vegetable Dumplings (Chai Kueh)

Mid of next month, the shipment company who provide relocation service will come to pack up all my stuff. I'm glad that my parent are visiting me before I leave. Saw some blogger making this steamed vegetables dumplings recently, I decided to make this for my parent, this is the first time they have chance to taste my chai kueh, I'm happy and hope there are more opportunity to come. I'm using my old recipe and double the ingredients to make 22 pieces. This round I make sure that I shredded the jicama and carrot properly and wrapping of the dumplings skin was smooth and easy one. The end result is a soft and crystal clear dumplings skin that doesn't harden when cool down.    

Recipe for filling from Ah Tze's Kitchen Play

Ingredients:

600g jicama, shredded
200g dried prawns, soaked and chopped
1 big carrot, shredded
4 tbsps sugar
2 tsp salt
2 medium bowl of water
cooking oil
80g chopped garlic
6 stalks of mushroom, chopped
some Chinese Spinach, washed and chopped

Method:
1. Heat the oil in wok, stir-fry garlic until fragrant.
2. Add in dried prawns and fry until fragrant.
3. Add in jicama, carrots and mushrooms. Stir fry for 5 mins, add in water. Let it simmer until the vegetable is soft and cooked. Add Chinese Spinach. Add in sugar and salt to taste. If you like me, prefer my vegetable to taste sweet to cover the raw smell of the jicama, you may add in more sugar. Let it cool for later use.

Recipe for dumpling skin adapted from Hot Favourites Kuehs and Pastries cookbook, with minor changes

Ingredients:
300g wheat starch flour
300g tapioca flour
500 ml hot boiling water 
2 tsp salt
6 tbsp cooking oil

Step:
1. Place wheat starch flour, tapioca flour, and salt in a bowl. Make a hole in the centre and pour in hot water. (the water must be boiling hot) Mix well with a pair of chopstick, mix to form a dough. 
2. Add oil and knead to form a smooth dough. (make sure to knead well so to produce soft dumpling skin) Cover with wrapping film, set a side to rest for 30 mins.
3.Rroll dough into long strip. Divide into 22 portions. Roll dough to form a thin circle.
4. Wrap 1 tbsp of filling with each dough. Fold into semicircle and seal the opening by pressing the edges together.
5. Line steamer with non stick baking paper or a piece of banana leaves. Place the chai kueh on top and steam for 10~15 mins or until the dumpling skin turns translucent.
6. Remove the chai kueh and brush the surface with some oil. Serve hot.

My Father enjoying the homemade steamed vegetable dumplings 

Hokkaido Chiffon Cupcakes

These few days I was very busy with lots of decisions to be made. The trip to Melbourne was a fruitful and happy one. End of this week, my family and I will be flying to Perth, by then, lots of decisions pending us again. 

Tomorrow is my birthday, I baked this Hokkaido Chiffon Cupcakes which is very popular among blogger, I used the recipe from Sonia,  Nasi Lemak Lovers which she adapted from Forbidden Garden, like what she recommended the taste of this chiffon cupcakes is light and soft! However, my chiffon cupcakes was not perfect because it shrinks when I took it out from oven :( I think I over whisk the batter, for sure I will try out this recipe again. Do hop over to see Sonia beautiful Hokkaido Chiffon Cupcakes.

Not sure whether I still got time to bake anything this year, I may not be able to post anything until I settle down in Australia next year. If everything go smoothly, I will be relocated to Australia by next Feb. Bye! 

Recipe adapted from Nasi Lemak Lovers

Ingredients:

3 egg yolks

20g sugar

35g corn oil

60g milk

70g cake flour

3 egg whites

25g sugar

filling:

60g whipping cream

10g sugar

1 tsp instant custard powder

icing sugar for dusting

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 170C

2. Arrange paper liners on baking tray.

3. Hand whisk egg yolk and sugar till pale in colour.

4. Add corn oil and milk, mix well.

5. Sift in cake flour, stir to combine.

6. Beat egg white till foamy, gradually add sugar and beat till soft peak form.

7. Take 1/3 of meringue and use a hand whisk to mix into egg yolk batter.

8. Fold in the balance egg white with a spatula till well combine.

9. Scoop batter into paper liners to about 3/4 full.

10. Bake for 20-25 mins at middle rack.

11. Beat whipping cream with sugar till firm and stiff over a bowl of iced cubes.

12. Add in custard powder and mix well.

13. Pipe custard cream into cupcake and dust with icing sugar. Refrigerated before consume. 

Attached also my son first stage performance at Canadian International School on the Kindergarten Graduation Day (23/11/2012). His nursery teachers had played a big part in his learning journey. My boy enjoyed himself and The Learning Ladder teachers accepted who they are. With only one rehearsal before the day, he is doing very well! A big step forward for this 4.5 years old boy. The words "brave boy" 勇敢的孩子 from the teachers meant a lot to him. Thank you teachers for your encouragement! 

Nata De Coco Grass Jelly with Rose Syrup and Lime

When there's friends come over, how you prepare a dessert or a drink in a easy and hazard hassle free way? This is the one :) Nata De Coco Grass Jelly with Rose Syrup and Lime, it tastes refreshing with that bit of sharp flavour from calamansi lime and I believes it will be the talking point among friends for a while :) I simply love biting the springy nata de coco and grass jelly while smelling fragrance of roses and at the mid-time having that bit of sourly in my tongue :)

I always store up a pack of two Nata De Coco and Grass Jelly at home because...yes, you are right! Is Gabriel favourites again :)

Note: I'll be away for holidays until 19 Nov 2012. See you soon :)

Recipe from Ah Tze's Kitchen Play

1 medium pack of sweeten grass jelly, cut into small cubes

1 pack of nata de coco (whichever flavour you like)

2 calamansi limes, halved

4-5 tbsp rose syrup (if you wish the drink to be sweeter, add more)

lot of ice cubes

100ml water

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, pour in nata de coco and grass jelly cubes, add 4-5 tbsp rose syrup, stir well.

2. In a serving glass, add some ice cubes, scoop the nata de coco and grass jelly into glass, add a bit of water and squeeze a bit of lime juice into glass and serve the lime halves on the side.

3. Taste the drink, you may add a tbsp of rose syrup into drink if you wish to have a stronger rose fragrant.  

Simmered Dried Scallops with Cabbage

I saw this recipe on FaceBook posted by "Cooking is Easy" （做饭很简单）like the way it used the saltiness of scallops to bring out the sweetness of the cabbage. I give the recipe a twist by adding dried shrimp, you are able to cook this dish using Tianjin Cabbage as well.  

 

My son usually doesn't like to eat cabbage but he gave this dish a try, I think simmering of cabbage instead of frying it does help to soften the vegetable. The sauce of this dish is very flavourful, scallop the expensive stuff does help :) 100g of Japanese scallops equal to about 6 pieces cost me $13 Singapore dollars!! If you can effort, add more scallops in this dish :D

Marble Chocolate Wheel Bread 大理石车轮面包 （65C Tangzhong Method)

Yesterday I used a famous baker recipe to make this bread but it turned out a disaster, the chocolate filling melted, and the bread was with wheel of hollows...haha, just right for Halloween huh!

 

Today, I bake this Marble Chocolate Wheel Bread again using my previous Chocolate Marble Bread Toast recipe (original from Japanese baker Matumoto Youiti 松本洋一) This bread didn't disappointed me. This round I remember to measure how much tangzhong I used and also how much liquid added. Hope it will help those who wish to give this recipe a try :)